What was it that made you realize mom was old? “It was when my mother began to put her reading glasses on the bridge of her nose and embroider them with a cross stitch, like the old mole woman. “This is a Himalayan FM listener’s answer in the China Children and Teenagers’ Fund “Spring Festival Letter”album.

Under the guidance of All-China Women’s Federation, CCTF together with Toutiao, Himalaya FM, China Letter program and Mango TV, jointly launched the public welfare communication activity of “Spring Festival Letter” on January 29, aiming to lead Chinese people to express their family thoughts through letters, pass on family motto and carry forward family traditions through traditional festivals.

February 19 is the Lantern Festival of China, which contains the best wishes for the reunion of families. By February 19, famous historian Meng Man, writer Qian Wenzhong, philosopher Zhou Guoping, world champion Deng Yaping, actress Mary, Serena, and Liu Lin, as well as general public representatives Lei Hai and Guo Baoping read their own letters at the Himalayan platform, caused the audience a strong emotional resonance. The topic of “Spring Festival Letter” set up by Toutiao has been read more than 17 million times, with more than 20,000 netizen participating in the discussion. The number of people reading the inscription of “Family Letter Confession” on Weibo reached 12.73 million. 

So far, the album has been listened by more than 3.6 million times, triggering a collective memory of “home” and hundreds of messages of unadorned gratitude for the family. Some of them miss the unforgettable time they spent with their departed relatives; some expressed their feelings that hard to express through the text; some solemnly thank their parents for their words and deeds; some just left a light message: I miss home.

In their letters to their fathers, in addition to show the gratitude for the selfless support of the family, Lei Hai and Guo Baoping also expressed about their own brave dream of their experiences. “Although the delivery work is very hard and ordinary, but I read poetry to find happiness, get a kind of spiritual satisfaction, and I feel like I am a spiritual millionaire”, “As long as you are a talent, whether you are in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or other cities, you will break out if you are willing to struggle”, they said in their letters.

On Toutiao platform, netizen actively upload their own letters, a few lines or a thousand words, full or implicit, contains parents’ advice, expectations for their children, their own distress, and those who did not have time to speak out to their loved ones.

During the Spring Festival, the overseas students and the family miss all the more deeply. “Remember, parents’ love is always there”, a mother of one of the beneficiaries of the CCTF “Convoy Plan” has written to encourage her son who study in the United States. Overseas students in United States, Canada, New Zealand and other countries covered by the Convoy Plan wrote letters to their parents in China. Inspired by the activity, some overseas schools also encourage Chinese students to develop the habit of “writing letters to parents” to cultivate the feelings of home and country in writing.

In the information age, people rely on the convenience and efficiency of instant messaging, feeling that they are “not used to holding a pen”. “During the festival, please write a letter home, so that relatives and friends can hear from you”, writer Bi Shumin wrote while participating in discussion on Toutiao’s Spring Festival theme activity.  

“I haven’t written for a long time, and I miss those days when I had letters. Maybe now we can write about those things we don’t want to face directly, write down and communicate with each other slowly, so that we can face the unknown future more easily”, said one Himalayan listener.

“Spring Festival Letter”event was launched in order to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping about “Pay attention to the family and family education”.

It is reported that the “Letter Confession” album sharing by CCTF at Himalayan FM will be continued throughout the year, ant there will be special promotion during Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day.