Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    China
    Home / China / Society

    Online emotional support meets growing needs

    The humdrum of daily life is prompting more people to seek solace in virtual world

    By YANG ZEKUN | China Daily | Updated: 2024-10-07 07:53
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    Gao stands by a road sign showing the direction of the post office she operates in Inner Mongolia recently. CHINA DAILY

    Solace from the desert

    Gao, originally from Shanxi province, made several trips to the desert between 2016 and 2017 during a difficult period in her working life in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. During her trips to the desert, she realized her personal troubles were insignificant against the vastness of the desert, while walking in the desert allowed her to indulge in self-introspection.

    In 2021, after learning from locals that a post office existed in the Tengger Desert, she decided to turn into reality her long-held dream of opening a store to provide people with products and services that would ease their worries. She spent nearly 100,000 yuan ($14,000) to rebuild a wooden house with a tin roof on the approximate spot where the old post office stood. She also set up a campsite about 5 kilometers from the post office.

    Both the post office and campsite are simple structures, with all the necessities being transported from outside. People visiting the place bring some supplies. The rest is delivered once a week. However, from November to April, that is, during the harsh winter months, the supplies are delivered once a month.

    Gao's team consists of nine people. In the beginning, her friends didn't quite understand her endeavor. One of her friends once asked, "How are you going to run a post office? How will it make money?" Gao said that many brands are engaged in the "emotional healing" business, with most of them doing well, and she has collaborated with some of them to run joint campaigns. So she too can survive.

    "This is my career now. While people talk about passion, doing what you love also needs to be commercially viable. Some succeed, some fail. Everyone faces their own challenges, but I feel luckier than most because I am doing something I love," she said.

    The post office uses its own stamp, and the letters and postcards need to be transported from the desert to the nearest town to be mailed to the addressees through China Post. Most of the mails are sent as regular letters, passing through various postal stops, with the stamps marking the course of their journey — something Gao and the recipients of the letters find deeply meaningful.

    In March 2022, the post office planted nearly 10,000 trees for the National Tree Planting Day (observed on March 12 every year) near the campsite as a way to celebrate Mother Nature. This prompted many people to come forward and place orders on Taobao to adopt a tree in the desert.

    "These trees, with a lifespan of more than 100 years, will outlive the emotions they represent, establishing a lasting connection between their benefactors and the world," she said.

    Sharing her story, the mother of a child who regularly communicates with Gao said she has been diagnosed with cancer, and her child is only about one year old. She adopted a tree and hoped her child would be able to visit it and feel her love maybe 10 years later. The tree has thus become an extension of her emotions.

    Gao said that some people come to see the trees they've adopted, though their stories remain unknown. Some adopt trees in memory of friends who have died. They see their friends in these trees. Couples, too, frequently plant trees together.

    "From my school days to my work life, I've always made my own choices. I've always been an introvert, but I deeply empathize with people around me," Gao said."I think many people in the world are like me — they need a place to speak. City dwellers might feel tense during the day and lonely at night. This place provides them with comfort."

    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
     
    狠狠躁天天躁无码中文字幕图| 无码人妻黑人中文字幕| 日韩精品久久无码中文字幕| 91中文在线视频| 无码国内精品久久人妻麻豆按摩| 在线精品无码字幕无码AV| 亚洲中文字幕无码久久精品1| 久久久久亚洲AV无码专区体验 | 黑人无码精品又粗又大又长| 国产色无码精品视频免费| 国产中文字幕在线视频| 狠狠精品久久久无码中文字幕| 久久久久久国产精品免费无码| 国产AV无码专区亚洲AWWW| 国产欧美日韩中文字幕| 久久国产高清字幕中文| 中文无码久久精品| 日本妇人成熟免费中文字幕| 国产亚洲?V无码?V男人的天堂| 日韩国产精品无码一区二区三区| 中文字幕有码无码AV| 日日日日做夜夜夜夜无码| 中文字幕av高清有码| 最近免费最新高清中文字幕韩国| 最近的中文字幕在线看视频| 国产无码一区二区在线| 免费无遮挡无码视频在线观看| 国模GOGO无码人体啪啪| 99国产精品无码| 久久亚洲AV无码西西人体| 成?∨人片在线观看无码| 国99精品无码一区二区三区| 久久无码av三级| 日韩免费a级毛片无码a∨| 亚洲人成无码网站久久99热国产| 精品久久久无码中文字幕天天| 免费无码国产V片在线观看| 日韩久久无码免费毛片软件| 国产 亚洲 中文在线 字幕| 痴汉中文字幕视频一区| 无码人妻丰满熟妇区BBBBXXXX|