On October 17th and 18th, the Autumn Wish·Third Red Leaf Festival 2021 was held at Feng Jicai Institute of Literature and Art as scheduled. This festival added an annual activity - “Write a letter to the Future Self” from this year on.

The college years are the most precious youth time in one’s whole life. It is the last terminal before stepping into society, and also the first step towards maturity and independence. When freshmen enter a new stage of their life – the university, they sail for unknown destinations, face new challenges and happiness, grow up each day as time passes by, and run towards a better self. Sometimes they will be confused and stop to thinking carefully about their future. It may be correct to aim high, however, a small step at time would make goals touchable and path ahead clearer, and make people more firm and confident.

During the festival, the Institute proposed an activity: “What are your goals, aims or expectations for your university time? Write a letter to the future yourself, place your secrets somewhere full of mysteries and charms on campus...” They prepared wish cards, pens, colored ink and envelopes for students, so that they can write their wishes, goals or expectations for the future. The institute will save them, and keep them absolutely secret. The stub of the wish card is a certificate for future withdrawal of the letter.

Ribbons and tassels were prepared to help students turn stubs into bookmarks and keep this special "red leaf" in their hands. In the future, three mailboxes will be set up, each corresponding to a different year in the future. Students can choose one of the mailboxes according to their own wishes. The mailboxes will be open during the Red Leaf Festival every year, and students can pick up their own letters with stubs.

Feng Jicai told students: ”A few years later, when you open the letter you write today, you can check if your wishes come true, and are you becoming the person you expect to be? I hope that by writing this letter, you could have a better understanding of yourself and life, and I hope that the current moment would leave you precious memories.”

There were more interesting activities during the Third Red Leaf Festival, including Poem and Music Salon, and heart-touching performances played by students from different art communities. Visitors can enjoy ancient and modern poetry from both home and aboard.

The Feng Jicai Institute of Literature and Art also set up photo shot spots at places with extraordinary scenery. Students can get the "Photo Shot Ticket" at the event site, with tickets, they can receive their souvenir photos shot by professional photographers of the college during a specific time period in the afternoon of the 17th and the morning of the 18th.

The activity lasted for one and a half days, and participants appreciated excellent poems and photography on the Red Leaf Poetry Wall, participated in the scene of painting, learned leaf vein painting, and enjoyed the autumn of red leaves in their own way.

The Autumn Wish·the Third Red Leaf Festival 2021 is hosted by Feng Jicai Institute of Literature and Art and co-organized by the Publicity Department of Party Committee, Student Affairs Department of Party Committee, Communist Youth League Committee and Library of Tianjin University.

By: Liu Yani

Editors: Dai Chenming and Qin Mian