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Good deeds and yellow ribbons
By Xu Wenwen |
October 28, 2009, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
YELLOW ribbons have a special new meaning in Hangzhou - they symbolize caring and good neighborliness. Tens of thousands of yellow ribbons blossomed all over the city on Neighbors' Day last Sunday as people wore them, waved them and tied them everywhere. Yellow ribbons flew on rental bicycles, buses, taxis, bullet trains and even boats on West Lake.
Though yellow ribbons are associated with various causes worldwide, especially waiting for loved ones or troops to return home, in Hangzhou the yellow ribbons symbolize friendship and helping hands.
Hangzhou has celebrated Neighbors' Day since 2004. In the past five years, residential communities have organized activities, such as cooking matches, blind dating parties, auto trips and "knocking on your neighbor's door."
In "knocking on your neighbor's door," the visitor presents a yellow ribbon representing regard, gratitude and sometimes an apology that fixes quite a few problems.
Though yellow ribbons are used around Neighbors' Day, neighbors help neighbors all year round.
It isn't hard to do an occasional good deed, what is hard is to do good throughout one's life.
In Qingnian Road Community, 70-year-old Zhao Yougen and his wife Li Baolin are well known for their kind hearts. They have been helping neighbors since they moved to the community in 1980.
They live on the fourth floor of an apartment building and regularly help 92-year-old Xia Huiwen who lives alone, suffers from heart disease, hypertension and memory loss, and seldom leaves her apartment.
Zhao and Li started helping her 29 years ago right after they learned about her situation. Nearly every day Li buys food and daily supplies, and Zhao changes light bulbs, fixes the plumbing, repairs appliances and does other odd jobs.
Two years ago when Xia underwent surgery, Zhao and Li took care of her day and night until she recovered.
Zhao and Li take care of others as well. Zhao, who used to be a construction worker, fixes things around neighbors' apartments, repairs appliances, checks water and gas lines, fixes window screens and installs awnings.
Despite high praise from their neighbors, Zhao and Li are modest.
"We only did trifles, we help because we can," says Zhao.
In the same community, kindhearted retired newspaper editor Fei Helin has opened his own small backyard as a free public space where neighbors can read newspapers. It started six months ago.
"I subscribe to seven publications, but it's a waste if I'm the only one to read them," says Fei.
"Then it occurred to me that my yard would make quite a good place for my neighbors to rest and share my papers."
Fei moved tables and chairs into the yard, bought racks for the publications and arranged potted flowers. He called on other residents to contribute more books and reading materials.
Today the yard under a sweet osmanthus tree features 20 newspapers and magazines and is an increasingly popular place to get together. The community office also contributes books, stone tables, stools and plants.
"The reading area for newspapers and magazines is playing a role in connecting people," Fei says.
He Kuncai, 90, was honored as a city-level model worker in middle age. Since 1999 he and his wife have collected old paint pails and made them into more than 1,000 dustpans for his neighbors.
But recycling paint buckets is not enough.
Though Neighbors' Day is over, many good deeds and acts of kindness are taking place all over the city, all year round.
Though yellow ribbons are associated with various causes worldwide, especially waiting for loved ones or troops to return home, in Hangzhou the yellow ribbons symbolize friendship and helping hands.
Hangzhou has celebrated Neighbors' Day since 2004. In the past five years, residential communities have organized activities, such as cooking matches, blind dating parties, auto trips and "knocking on your neighbor's door."
In "knocking on your neighbor's door," the visitor presents a yellow ribbon representing regard, gratitude and sometimes an apology that fixes quite a few problems.
Though yellow ribbons are used around Neighbors' Day, neighbors help neighbors all year round.
It isn't hard to do an occasional good deed, what is hard is to do good throughout one's life.
In Qingnian Road Community, 70-year-old Zhao Yougen and his wife Li Baolin are well known for their kind hearts. They have been helping neighbors since they moved to the community in 1980.
They live on the fourth floor of an apartment building and regularly help 92-year-old Xia Huiwen who lives alone, suffers from heart disease, hypertension and memory loss, and seldom leaves her apartment.
Zhao and Li started helping her 29 years ago right after they learned about her situation. Nearly every day Li buys food and daily supplies, and Zhao changes light bulbs, fixes the plumbing, repairs appliances and does other odd jobs.
Two years ago when Xia underwent surgery, Zhao and Li took care of her day and night until she recovered.
Zhao and Li take care of others as well. Zhao, who used to be a construction worker, fixes things around neighbors' apartments, repairs appliances, checks water and gas lines, fixes window screens and installs awnings.
Despite high praise from their neighbors, Zhao and Li are modest.
"We only did trifles, we help because we can," says Zhao.
In the same community, kindhearted retired newspaper editor Fei Helin has opened his own small backyard as a free public space where neighbors can read newspapers. It started six months ago.
"I subscribe to seven publications, but it's a waste if I'm the only one to read them," says Fei.
"Then it occurred to me that my yard would make quite a good place for my neighbors to rest and share my papers."
Fei moved tables and chairs into the yard, bought racks for the publications and arranged potted flowers. He called on other residents to contribute more books and reading materials.
Today the yard under a sweet osmanthus tree features 20 newspapers and magazines and is an increasingly popular place to get together. The community office also contributes books, stone tables, stools and plants.
"The reading area for newspapers and magazines is playing a role in connecting people," Fei says.
He Kuncai, 90, was honored as a city-level model worker in middle age. Since 1999 he and his wife have collected old paint pails and made them into more than 1,000 dustpans for his neighbors.
But recycling paint buckets is not enough.
Though Neighbors' Day is over, many good deeds and acts of kindness are taking place all over the city, all year round.
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