A program for seniors

Once an old man in his 70s contacted Yu and confessed he was embarrassed to go to a photo studio to take wedding photos with his wife.

"He told me that even his children had never taken such photos, which he believed were only for young people. He didn't want his family to know that it was him who wanted to take wedding photos. If we went to them, he could explain it to them as our idea," Yu says.

"It's a novel thing for the elderly. Some take their photos in the farm field. Some are embarrassed to walk in the community in wedding suits and want to take the photos at home. Students can easily set up a simple background for them."

Red is the traditional color for Chinese wedding outfits. He says retired soldiers prefer to wear their green army uniforms, which smartly match the red garments of the wives.

"A grandma called me, cried and said that her husband passed away and these photos were an essential memento of him. At that time, I realized that what we're doing is just a small deed, but for some elderly folks, it's very valuable," Yu adds.

More than 400 student volunteers from the university have taken 50,000 wedding photos of about 650 elderly couples in Hubei and its neighboring provinces. They develop the films, frame the photos and deliver them via courier.

Only 15 students joined the program in the first year but now there are about 100 to 150 volunteers divided into 10 teams every year, who each spend a week on their mission.

Students are trained and arranged with tasks in accordance with their expertise. They often choose a subject of conversation that appeals to the elderly, such as asking about their previous occupation.

In recent years, they started to record the touching love stories of the elderly and post them on social media. Some volunteers continue to aid the program after graduation.

They have different themes every year. For example, in 2019 they shot wedding photos for retired soldiers while Wuhan was holding the Military World Games.

The public-spirited program recently won silver prize at the sixth Chinese Youth Volunteer Service Project Competition.

"Details of how the elderly couples get along with each other have touched the students, who get to learn about love from another perspective," Yu says.

He says the elderly were from many different walks of life. Students have learned greatly from them, and such exposure is a great boon for them, as they are about to enter society themselves.

"The older generation share their own life experiences, rather than talk about profound principles. When you're immersed in their stories, you gradually straighten out your thinking about many things."