Order of Heroic Exemplar

The Order of the Heroic Exemplar is the highest military decoration awarded by the Government of the People's Republic of China, and was named Heroic Exemplar Medal  before 2011. The person who gained the award is called Heroic Exemplar.

History
The Heroic Exemplar Medal, along with the Meritorious Service Medal, was first created in April 1951 by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army political director Du Ping in an effort to promote the unity of the Chinese armed forces during the Korean War. The medal was conceived so that the common soldiers would follow the examples set by a few selected role models. When the medal was first created, it was composed of three categories — second, first and special class. The special class was later eliminated when the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) medal system was formalized in 1988. In 2011, the name of the award changed into Order of Heroic Exemplar.

Criteria and selection process
According to the initial award criteria published in 1951, the medal was awarded to those "who have owned two medals of third or second class or one of the first grade [Meritorious Service] award, who are most outstanding at an army or army corps level, and whose remarkable contribution are also recognized by friendly units."

A candidate for the medal would normally be nominated by the deputy political officer of a company, while all squads within the company were required to meet once a month to list each soldier's accomplishments for the selection process. Once nominated, the PLA General Political Department or the candidate's military region political department would be responsible for approving the nomination.

Reward and regulation
Once the nomination is approved, the recipient would be treated with a grand prize-giving ceremony that is intended to educate the entire PLA or the recipient's military region. Besides the medal, the recipient also receives a ribbon bar and a certificate from the PLA General Political Department. According to the 1988 regulation, the medal must be worn on the upper left side of the recipient's uniform. The regulation also decreed that the medal itself can only be worn during special meetings and celebrations, while the ribbon bars are allowed in daily functions.

First Class Order of Heroic Exemplar
From the rename of the award in 2011, to the end of December 2016, a total of 14 people have received the First Class Order of Heroic Exemplar, including 2 general officers, 7 field and junior grade officers, and 1 private. Of the 14 recipients, 4 of them are posthumously awarded.

Second Class Order of Heroic Exemplar
Not all individuals who received the Second Class Order of Heroic Exemplar were reported in the public media.