He may have been driving for an entire day already, but Wu Xiusheng isn`t ready to park his taxi yet: he still has to take a person who was treated for acute uremia home from the hospital.

"We drivers - more than 10 of us - take turns driving her to the hospital for her tests. Today it`s my turn," says the taxi driver in Laiwu, Shandong province.

The group have styled themselves the "Love Taxi Team" and have been doing this voluntary work for Tian Jinrong for more than six years now.

Tian was diagnosed with uremia back in March 2006, so her husband, Gao Mingsheng, is the family`s breadwinner.

When asked about the taxi service, Gao said simply and humbly, "The free rides mean a lot to us."

He farms the land and sometimes works at a construction site, but that work barely cover Tian`s medical costs. "Their help has taken off some of the financial pressure and we feel we`re being looked after by society."

But, the taxi drivers` work doesn`t stop there. They have also raised funds by asking the citizens of Laiwu to pitch in with some money for the family. They`ve collected more than 80,000 yuan ($12,408) to date.

And their good deeds have caught the attention of local authorities.

Bi Yuhui, head of the city`s publicity department, has said, "In our dialect, the city`s name, Laiwu, sounds like the word for love. Everyone should learn from these guys. We advocate universal love in Laiwu and hope to build a loving city."

Li Guanshan, head of the Gangcheng district`s publicity department, added, "In fact, in building a loving city, we`ve had many projects."

The E Love Station, for example. This nonprofit online and telephone consultation service was set up for the sole purpose of helping minors with psychological problems. It has helped 34 teenagers so far.

That district has also opened a microblog, called Love Gangcheng, which has attracted more than 745,000 people and has become an important tool for getting the love message out.

In addition to building a loving city, Laiwu has also built another reputation: It is now China`s Hygiene City, China`s Excellent Tourism City, and China`s Garden City. For Shandong, it`s known as a civilized city.

Laiwu covers a 2,246-square kilometer area and has many minerals deposits, such as coal, iron, copper, gold and phosphorus, as well as marble and limestone.

Its iron and coal reserves have earned it the title of Steel and Coal City, and its connection with steelmaking goes back more than 1,000 years.

It has 450 million tons of proven iron ore reserves, the highest of any city in eastern China. And, last year, it produced 17 million tons of steel.

And, on a lighter note, the city is recognized as China`s Ginger City and China`s Pepper City. Its annual ginger and garlic output reaches 500,000 tons.