Source: Information Times, 2013-08-21, Page A20
Written by: Kuang Ningdan
Translated by: Yang Qing
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

Recently, the freshmen at SYSU surprisingly found the “woods of three-line love letters” on campus. The “love letters” hung in the trees are written not only by young students but also by professors and university leaders. In fact, this is a part of the “woods of three-line love letters” activity held by the CYL Committee of the School of Communication and Design. The “love letters” are shown in the woods for the first time this year.

University leaders also write “love letters”

The “woods of three-line love letters” activity has been held three times. This year for the first time, the excellent works are hung in over forty trees around the Library and the School of Communication and Design on East Campus of SYSU. “In the future, the ‘woods of three-line love letters’ will extend to the student apartment buildings and staff apartment buildings,” said Li Qingshuang, Deputy Secretary of the School of Communication and Design. The aim of displaying previous excellent works during the beginning of the freshmen’s college life is to “develop their affection for alma mater, parents and families”.

In the “woods of three-line love letters”, there are some works created by teachers and university leaders. For example, “One love/ one promise/ in a lifetime” is written by Professor Li Yanbao, former Secretary of SYSU Party Committee. The work of Professor Li Ping, Deputy Secretary of SYSU Party Committee, is also hung in the tree: “You are the spring breeze, you are the summer rain/ You are the autumn fruit, you are the winter sun/ Thank you for your love, the teachers will love you forever”.

"Love letters" opened a way for doing public good

In 2011, when the Graduate Student Teaching Team of SYSU went to Chengjiang county, Yuxi city, Yunnan province, Li Qingshuang suggested introducing the “three-line love letters” activity to Yunnan. As a result, the teaching team in Yunnan received over 200 letters from the local children, such as “staring at his weather-beaten face/ I know I am no longer a child/ for he is my old father”.

"The children write very well. They are quiet, shy and poor at oral expression, but it is surprising that they can express such delicate feelings when they write," said a member of the SYSU teaching team. Therefore, the staff specially selected top ten out of the over 200 works, made them into bookmarks and postcards, and gave them to the children.

Besides, the teaching team made bookmarks and other cultural products with the excellent works, held a charity sale and donated new quilts to the children in Chengjiang with the money from the sale.

Talking about the future of the “three-line love letters” activity, Li Qingshuang said that a student creative studio of “three-line love letters” will be established and the students will contribute to public welfare by making a series of cultural products with the “three-line love letters” including cups, bookmarks, T-shirts, etc. The Sun Yat-sen University Press will compile and publish the excellent works of “three-line love letters” soon. Li added that SYSU will host a large-scale poetry reading activity in the Guangzhou University City.