A flight attendant in China who spent nearly five hours soothing a crying baby on a flight has been celebrated for her maternal instincts on mainland social media.

The unnamed woman was working on a Chinese domestic flight from Jilin to Chengdu when she intervened to help calm a passenger’s baby to minimise potential noise disturbance for other passengers, Star Video reported.

The flight attendant noticed a mother on the flight having difficulty keeping her baby quiet after passengers were told to stay seated and offered to hold him.

In a video from the flight, the attendant is shown carrying the calm-looking baby in her arms and patting him gently during the flight.

Later, when the cabin crew took their seats, the flight attendant got the baby to go to sleep by patting his back. The baby fell asleep and after waking, remained quiet.

The story has been popular on mainland social media, with many readers praising the flight attendant.

One person said: “The pretty stewardess is full of maternal brilliance.”

Another commented: “Look, the baby seems very happy. How gentle and caring the stewardess is.”

“The scene is so sweet, it makes me enjoy life more,” another said.

Stories of people showing kindness to children regularly become viral content. Earlier this month, a video of a two-year-old boy in Henan province, central China, who kissed his kindergarten teacher after she praised him was seen by millions of people.

Last year in September, a little Chinese girl with albinism received a warm welcome from her classmates and teachers to ensure she felt safe and comfortable on her first day of kindergarten. 

 - SCMP