A "love wall" is seen in an underground passage in Xiamen, Fujian Province. (Photo/Screenshot from CCTV.com)
(ECNS) - A "love wall" set up in an underground passage in Xiamen, Fujian Province has been inundated with offerings of clothes, shoes and blankets donated by citizens overnight following its launch, China Central Television has reported.
The wall was set up on February 4 and in the following 16 hours, clothes put on the wall increased from 20 items to more than 1,000. When the wall became full, donators had to put clothes and other items on the ground. By noon the next day, more than 5,000 items of clothing had been received.
Meanwhile, people in need who had heard about the wall came to take their pick of the donated clothes. The passage was so crowded that Chen Jiangwei, one of the organizers, contacted local charity organizations for help and organized for the excess clothes to be stored in their warehouses.
At dusk on February 6, the organizers had to issue a notice asking citizens to halt donations.
Urban management officers also came to inform the organizers that the wall should be removed according to local regulations, but later agreed to keep it as a means to pass on love and "positive energy."
So far, a solution has been found through consultation to avoid overcrowding and eliminate fire risks. Organisers are now trialling the love wall as a display only, while donations will be received at a separate location. Local government agencies and charity groups are providing temporary warehousing services for the donated clothes, helping to wash and disinfect them, and also place a certain number of them on the wall. The wall will be further upgraded in the future.
Love walls, an idea that originated in Iran, are increasingly emerging in many Chinese cities. Similar to the one in Xiamen, the walls sow seeds of charity among the public, yet they also cause management problems and pose security concerns.
