BEIJING: A man from southern China travelled 3,000 kilometres to search for his pen pal from 24 years ago, stirring nostalgia among many for their own youth pen pals.
Li Zhicong, around 40, hails from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and has been working in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, for over a decade.
Recently, he journeyed 3,000 km to Inner Mongolia in northern China to find his pen pal “Ice Rain,” who wrote him a letter 24 years ago.
In 2002, when he was a third-year junior secondary school student, Li met Ice Rain, a girl in the same grade living in Arun Banner, through a chat app. He sent her a letter describing the breathtaking scenery of Guilin.
Guilin’s landscapes are renowned throughout the country and are depicted on China’s 20-yuan bill. Although Li was originally from Luchuan county and had never visited Guilin at that time, he chose to paint a vivid picture of the Guilin he imagined for his new friend.
Before long, Ice Rain replied with a letter enclosed in an envelope featuring the then-popular Taiwanese boy band F4.
In her letter, she described the vast prairie where she lived, writing: “From afar come the bleating of sheep, the mooing of cows, and the sound of galloping horses. How could one not be captivated by such vibrant scenes of life? I feel incredibly happy.”
She also invited Li to visit the grasslands, encouraged him to sample the delicious milk, and offered to teach him how to ride a horse.
Li found himself enchanted by the scenery Ice Rain depicted.
He recalled that they lost touch after he sent one final letter. As they transitioned from junior to senior secondary school, it was likely that her address changed.
Additionally, he noted that their chat app account numbers had also changed, making online reconnection impossible.
In 2023, Li undertook a self-drive journey across China and passed through Inner Mongolia. Although it was winter and he did not witness the lush grasslands he had imagined, the scenery rekindled memories of Ice Rain.
In June, he returned to Inner Mongolia with his parents, and this time they encountered the expansive prairie and the flocks and herds she had described to him.
Following that trip, Li set off on a special journey to Arun Banner to seek out Ice Rain.
In her letter, she revealed that her real name is Ding Kun, along with her birthday, school, and hobbies.
On the final day of his trip in Arun Banner, Li tracked down Ding’s junior secondary school teacher, who is surnamed Jing.
Jing shared with Li that Ding was an outgoing and talkative girl.
Li documented his journey on his social media account, which garnered 62,000 likes and over 7,000 comments. Many resonated with his experience, sharing their own stories of letter exchanges with pen pals.
“Your video reminded me of my pen pal from 30 years ago. It took a month to receive a response. Pen pals were a special way to make friends during a time when communication technologies were less developed. I miss that era,” commented one user.
Li remarked that this unique form of communication was cherished by youths born in the 1980s.
Some even found Li’s quest “romantic.”
Now a vlogger, Li stated that despite being single, he did not wish to disturb Ding’s life.
Instead, he felt content to walk through the city where Ding once lived.
He mentioned that if he could reconnect with Ding, he would like to invite her and her family to visit Guangxi at his expense.
“She was the most distant friend I made at that time. I want to honour a cherished memory of my youth,” Li expressed. - South China Morning Post
