Chinese leaders have identified a new icon to whip up patriotism and has called on the Communist Party cadres and government functionaries to learn from the self-less service of Zhou Guozhi, an outstanding grassroots cadre who died last year at the age of 42.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged people to take lessons from Zhou's dedication towards nation-building.

Zhou Guozhi has become a household name in China. He is sincerely revered in his workplace, his township in central China's Hubei province and across the country, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

A team has been formed that will travel to various cities to publicise Zhou's self-less deeds and arouse patriotic fervour among people.

A meeting for reporting the deeds of Zhou Guozhi was held on Tuesday in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, which was attended by over 800 officials and other leading figures.

The team will travel to other cities after Beijing to tell Zhou's story.