[3] 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.
[4] The medal was conceived so that the common soldiers would follow the examples set by a few selected role models.
[4] The special class was later eliminated when the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) medal system was formalized in 1988.
[2][7] Besides the medal, the recipient also receives a ribbon bar and a certificate from the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission.
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.