On September 11th of this year marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. On September 11, 2001, 3000 people lost their lives. As the planes flown by terrorists crashed into the Twin Towers, while people were desperately trying to escape, some were rushing in. They were the New York police, firefighters, emergency responders, and volunteers. In the face of life and death, their thoughts were not for themselves, but for others.
Among them was a Chinese man named Zhe Zeng, also known as Zack Zeng.
“I remember seeing him on Fox’s television screen, he was saving people,” said Song Ying, a senior media person in New York and a witness of 9/11, recalling her experience to a reporter. She vividly remembered the moment when the plane hit the south tower of the World Trade Center, a mix of shock and anger overwhelmed her, and she cried out loud. With her home in Chinatown already sealed off, she had to stay with friends in Queens where she first saw this Chinese hero on television. “Later, I heard about him in foreign media, knowing he is Chinese, named Zhe Zeng.”
Song Ying mentioned that two weeks after the 9/11 attacks, she interviewed Zeng’s mother. It was a heartbreaking middle-aged woman who was constantly in tears, and Song Ying was also in tears with her. Zeng’s mother worked in a garment factory, earning a modest income. She spoke highly of her son Zhe Zeng, who was a top student and very filial. After graduating, he worked at a New York bank near the World Trade Center. On the day of the attack, Zeng called his mother to reassure her that he was safe, but he needed to go and help others, then hung up the phone.
“It wasn’t until Fox captured him that anyone knew about his heroic actions,” Song Ying said. On television, the young Zhe Zeng was seen crouching beside a stretcher, supporting the head of a wounded person. “His mother said he was always a willing helper, excelled in his studies, and had a good relationship with his colleagues. He was his mother’s youngest son, with an elder brother.”
After 9/11, Zeng’s mother lived with her eldest son and daughter-in-law. Every month, she would go to the bank to collect survivor benefits, and one of Song Ying’s friends working at the bank often welcomed Zeng’s mother.
“About five years ago, Zeng’s mother passed away at the age of over 80,” Song Ying revealed. “To this day, there has been no news of Zeng’s body being found, if he was still alive, he would have certainly had a successful career…”
Even today, when speaking of this fearless Chinese hero who risked his life to save others, tears of admiration would well up in Song Ying’s eyes. She heard that Zhe Zeng graduated from a middle school in Guangzhou, the same school as her husband.
“Zhe Zeng represents the excellent character of us Chinese! I believe he is forever worth commemorating,” Song Ying expressed. “We need to show people that we Chinese also have individuals who truly embody the spirit of our nation, not all like many new immigrants these days who enjoy American welfare but criticize Americans.”
According to public online information, Zhe Zeng (September 30, 1972 – September 11, 2001) immigrated to the United States with his family while attending junior high at Guangzhou No. 1 Middle School. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Rochester. In 1998, Zhe Zeng worked at a New York bank just two blocks away from the World Trade Center.
On September 11, 2001, Zhe Zeng witnessed the terrorist attack while on his way to work and risked his life to assist firefighters in rescuing victims. After calling his family to let them know he was safe, he went back against the crowd to the disaster site and ultimately sacrificed his life when the World Trade Center collapsed.
Today, a street on Bayard St in New York City’s Chinatown is named “Zhe Zeng Road” in honor of this noble hero who saved lives.