Chongqing - On a recent winter morning, fourth-grader Xing Chiyuan in Wansheng eagerly read aloud a letter from his new pen pal, Hanhan, who lives more than 300 kilometers away in Kaizhou District. The letter described building snowmen on Xuebao Mountain and the abundance of local snacks in Lingjiang Town.
Students read letters attentively in their classroom. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
This exchange is part of a growing project that has connected 96 students from two primary schools in Chongqing. Over the past two months, these children have rediscovered the thoughtful, patient joy of handwritten letters, a fading experience in today's digital world.
When the latest batch of letters arrived at Nantong Primary, teacher Zhang Qian distributed them to her fourth-grade class. The room came alive with excitement - some students carefully peeled open envelopes, others studied the handwriting, and many broke into grins as they read.
The letter-opening session turns into a “happy sharing gathering” for students. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
"Kaizhou has Hanfeng Lake - you can run among flowers in spring, see lotus in summer, golden ginkgo trees in autumn, and misty waters in winter. What’s your hometown like?" wrote one Kaizhou student. In response, his Wansheng pen pal described the scenic Heishan Valley, home to playful monkeys and lush forests.
Students read letters attentively in their classroom. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
At Mingyue Primary, the scene was equally lively. Students shared excerpts with classmates: "I love paper-cutting," "Let's be friends," "Life has challenges, but we can overcome them." Simple words, yet they built genuine connections.
The project was born when Huang Fang, a Chinese teacher then volunteering at Mingyue Primary, noticed her students had never posted a letter. "Many didn't even know what a stamp was," she recalled.
Letters received by the students. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
Huang remembered her own childhood pen pal from the late 1990s - a girl in Guangzhou. They wrote for three years, exchanging stories about their lives, dreams, and struggles. "That experience taught me patience, empathy, and the beauty of delayed gratification," Huang said.
She partnered with Zhang Qian, a younger teacher from Nantong Primary who had never sent a letter herself. Together, they paired 96 volunteers, carefully matching personalities and interests. "A few eager students in Wansheng even offered to write two letters so no one in Kaizhou would be left out," Zhang noted.
The impacts extend far beyond literacy skills. Shy students have found their voice. One boy, whose parents work far away, wrote vividly about feeding chickens and helping his grandfather pick peppers. "Now I have a friend who knows my hen lays double-yolk eggs," he told his teacher quietly.
Students happily take a group photo with their long-awaited letters. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
Others discovered new motivation. "I used to struggle writing essays, but to my pen pal, I always have something to say," said student Zheng Shiqi, who now drafts letters carefully before final copies. "Her handwriting is so neat - I want to improve mine."
The process is intentionally hands-on: students buy their own stamps, address envelopes, and visit the post office. "It's about taking real responsibility for communication," Huang explained.
In an era of instant messaging, the waiting itself has become part of the education. "There's a unique warmth in holding a letter someone spent time writing just for you," reflected Zhang Qian, who now exchanges letters with a friend in another province.
Students mail their letters. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
As the semester continues, the pen pal project has evolved into more than a writing assignment - it's a bridge between rural and urban experiences, a lesson in empathy, and a tribute to a fading form of intimacy. In these carefully folded pages, children are not just learning to write. They are learning to listen, to share, and to connect—one handwritten word at a time.
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