Xie Chen (谢臣, 1940-1963), of the Hui nationality, was a native of Yixian County, Hebei Province. In August 1963, the western and northern regions of Hebei experienced unprecedented floods. In the early morning of 8 August, Xie Chen had just arrived in Donggaoshizhuang Village and suddenly encountered a flash flood. While the people ran up the mountain, Xie ran down, running and calling the people to move up the mountain. A wave hit him, he was caught in the rapids and at the bend of the river, he was washed back to the shore by a wave.

Xie tried to rescue Wang Lianzi, the daughter of member Wang Luorong, who was about to be washed away by the flood. Xie dragged Lianzi's waist with both hands and pushed her to the shore with all his strength, but he was caught in the whirlpool. The villagers saw a wave driving Xie into the water, and never saw him surface again. After the flood, people found Xie's body in Yujiayan, 600 meters away, and those present wept bitterly. On the day of Xie's funeral, thousands of people from nearby villages climbed over the mountains and spontaneously came to see him off.

In 1964, the Ministry of National Defense posthumously awarded Xie Chen the honorary title of "Model of Loving People".