Write 1,000 letters to strangers ahead of time, she decorates the Chinese New Year with her pen pal's wedding greetings
In July 2022, Ziniu Toutiao, the Yangtze Evening News, reported the story of a woman working in Beijing called "Bai Daxia" who wrote letters to 1,000 strangers. Many people gained warmth and encouragement from her letters, and some became friends with her. .
When the Spring Festival of the Year of the Rabbit came, the reporter contacted "Bai Daxia" again and learned that her goal of "writing letters to 1,000 people" had been completed ahead of schedule.
When decorating the room for the Spring Festival in the past two days, she deliberately pasted the wedding "囍" character sent by a pen pal on the wall, adding a festive color.
She told reporters that during the Spring Festival, she plans to visit Beijing's lantern fairs and temple fairs, so that pen pals from all over the country can also experience the flavor of Beijing.
Ziniu news reporter Wan Chengyuan picture video/provided by the interviewee
After completing the goal, send another batch of letters. Pen pals will receive blessings around the Spring Festival
"Bai Daxia" is a soft decoration designer in Beijing. In March last year, she posted a solicitation post on Xiaohongshu and began to send her handwritten letters to strangers, sharing her life experiences and reading insights.
Among the recipients are mothers suffering from postpartum depression, girls who are about to take the college entrance examination, and office workers who celebrate their birthdays alone... Someone lamented, "Receiving the letter feels like my day is illuminated."
In the process of writing letters to strangers, she also helped a college student majoring in journalism and communication complete the project report "Research on the Significance of Traditional Handwritten Letters in Today's Electronic Information Age".
Half a year has passed in a blink of an eye, and the Year of the Rabbit in the lunar calendar is coming. Has the goal of "writing letters to 1,000 people" that "White Hero" set for himself at the beginning been completed?
Recently, a reporter from Ziniu News of the Yangtze Evening News contacted "Bai Xia" again, and she told the reporter that she had accomplished this goal ahead of schedule.
It was originally planned to send the last batch of letters at the end of December last year, but it was completed in early November.
"It was their enthusiasm that touched me and gave me more motivation," she said.
"Bai Daxia" told the Ziniu News reporter of the Yangtze Evening News that after the Ziniu Toutiao of the Yangzi Evening News reported her story, some newspapers and magazines interviewed her, which made more people know about the incident and contacted her. She hopes to receive her letter.
When choosing who to reply to, she will give priority to those who are sad and painful because of some things, or who are confused about the future. She hopes to bring them warmth and encouragement through her words.
After completing the goal of 1,000 letters, "Bai Daxia" wrote another 80 letters and sent them out. The other party will receive her New Year blessings around the Spring Festival.
Among them, there is a letter written to a senior high school girl in Changzhou. The girl's mother contacted her not long ago, saying that her daughter had never received a handwritten letter, and hoped to give her a special surprise during the Spring Festival.
In the letter, "Bai Daxia" wished this girl a happy every day in 2023, "Love life passionately, make friends sincerely, and all good things will come!"
A pen pal was encouraged to give her a marathon medal when she was preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination
"Bai Daxia" told the Ziniu News reporter of the Yangtze Evening News that he received some special "gifts" in the process of writing letters with pen pals.
Just a few days ago, "White Hero" received wedding candy and double happiness ornaments from his pen pal Wang Yu (pseudonym).
Wang Yu was the first pen pal of "Bai Daxia" after he started the letter writing activity.
In a letter in March last year, "Bai Daxia" wished her "encounter the most beautiful love".
But in fact, at that time, "White Hero" knew very little about her personal situation.
In subsequent correspondence, Wang Yu described his relationship with his other half one after another, and also sent his wedding photos.
"It's so wonderful to think about it all. This wedding photo is so sweet, warm and happy. I couldn't help but look at it more than 10 times, and said quietly in my heart, what a happy girl." "Bai Daxia" told the reporter.
For this special gift from Wang Yu, she quickly had an idea.
The Spring Festival is approaching in the past two days, so she specially tidied up the wall where her photo was originally pasted, and pasted the Double Happiness ornaments on it.
"The Spring Festival is coming soon, and these big red happy characters are very beautiful! Post them up, so that she can feel happy!" "Bai Daxia" said.
Another gift is also very special, a 2019 Jingdezhen International Marathon finisher medal.
The owner of this medal, Lin Fang (pseudonym), is a primary school teacher in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, who took part in the National Postgraduate Admissions Examination at the end of last year.
Although she is busy with work and preparing for exams, she does not have much contact with "Bai Daxia", but she still absorbs "energy" and gains motivation.
Immediately after the exam, Lin Fang wrote a letter to "Bai Daxia", she said in the letter, "I follow your updates on Xiaohongshu. When I was tired from preparing for the exam, your warm updates gave me a lot. Motivation. In the past few months, I have thought a lot about my future, hoping that I can emulate Sister Bai and become an excellent person like you."
When we were in contact before, Lin Fang once told "Bai Daxia" that he wanted to travel with her, and he was looking forward to the two of them going to the snow-covered plateau and Tibet together.
In this letter, she said again, "If there is a chance, I hope we can see the great rivers and mountains of the motherland together."
I plan to shoot the Beijing Lantern Festival and Temple Fair to share the New Year flavor of Beijing with pen friends around the world
In the past few days, the flavor of the New Year in Beijing has become more and more intense. Red lanterns are hung in many places to make people feel the footsteps of the coming New Year.
"Bai Daxia" told the Ziniu News reporter of the Yangtze Evening News that she plans to travel around Beijing more during the Spring Festival this year, visiting lantern festivals, temple fairs, and participating in folk activities.
She plans to take more photos, print them out, and send them to her pen pals along with the letter, "Share with everyone what I have seen and heard during the Chinese New Year, so that pen pals across the country can also experience the New Year in Beijing."
Talking about the plan for the new year, "Bai Daxia" said that first of all, he should write letters to everyone, share his life with pen pals, and convey positive energy and bring positive emotions.
Secondly, she plans to read 100 to 130 books, and of course she will share the contents of the books with her pen pals as in the past.
In addition, she also wants to hold a personal oil painting exhibition and hold a pen pal meeting.
One of the biggest projects has to do with letter writing.
"Bai Daxia" told the reporter that he wanted to collect 1,000 letters from strangers. The contents of the letters could be what he wanted to say to her, or what he wanted to say to the writer himself. In addition, they could also be thoughts about the future... …She wants to use these letters to curate a letter exhibition, so that people can read those thoughts from the bottom of their hearts that are slowed down and written with a pen in this fast-paced era.
"Bai Daxia" said that after the past three years, 2023 is a new beginning, and she wants to continue to share the touch and beauty of life with everyone.