SYDNEY, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- For Justin Peng, Oct. 29 marks the anniversary of the day his life was saved.
Three years ago, Chinese student Jiang Antong lost his life while trying to rescue Peng from danger in the sea off Wollongong, Australia.
"I feel like I've been given a second chance at life," Peng told Xinhua on Thursday at the University of Wollongong, where a memorial ceremony was held to honor Jiang.
Jiang's parents, former classmates and people from various sectors in China and Australia gathered beneath a tree planted in his memory and laid flowers before a memorial stone.
On Sept. 1, Australia's Governor-General announced the 2026 bravery awards, with Jiang posthumously receiving the Commendation for Brave Conduct.
Born in 1995, Jiang arrived at the University of Wollongong in July 2023 to pursue a master's degree. On Oct. 29 that year, he saw Peng in danger while visiting Fairy Meadow Beach with several classmates. Jiang joined the rescue effort but was swept away by a rip current and lost his life.
Peng said that whenever he encounters difficulties, remembering Jiang's sacrifice gives him the courage to face them.
Jiang's father, Jiang Yu, said his son's actions reflected his habitual kindness and willingness to help others. During a cycling trip, Jiang once called an ambulance for an injured classmate and stayed with him in the hospital's emergency department throughout the night.
His parents also learned only after his death, while sorting through his belongings and talking with classmates, that he had donated blood and taken part in volunteer activities.
"There were so many things he never told us," Jiang Yu said, reflecting on the many admirable qualities they had discovered about their son after his death.
Over the past three years, the University of Wollongong has established a scholarship in Jiang's name and organized memorial football matches. Helen Partridge, the university's deputy vice-chancellor for education, said Jiang remained part of the university community and that even students who had never met him were sharing his story.
"We remember Antong not only for the courage he showed in a moment of danger, but also for his kindness, sincerity and love of life," said his former classmate Yan Lingzhi.
Wang Chunsheng, acting consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, said the continued remembrance of Jiang by people in China and Australia reflected their shared appreciation of kindness, courage and life.
An Jingkun, Jiang's mother, said at the ceremony that the care shown by his teachers, classmates and friends had reassured his parents that their son had not been forgotten.
Jiang Yu said they had named their son Antong in the hope that he would grow up safely and, like a tall tree, provide shade for others.
Three years after it was planted in his memory, the tree on campus has grown taller, its branches spreading out.
"That tree is rooted in the soil of Wollongong. Like an invisible thread, it connects him to his mum and dad across the distance between us," An Jingkun said. ■