Chinese man’s 3,000km search for pen pal from 24 years ago sparks deep nostalgia

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.The photo above showcases traditional Mongolian yurts on the vast Hulunbuir grassland in Inner Mongolia, China. Recently, Li travelled 3,000km in search of “Ice Rain,” who wrote him a letter 24 years ago. Photo: ShutterstockGuilin’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.