- A student travelled 1,300 km overnight to help a peer reach her hometown.
- The journey began at 1:30 am and lasted 13 hours with four students driving.
- The group bought offerings and paid respects at the deceased mother’s village.
A university student in China travelled nearly 1,300 kilometres overnight to help a fellow student reach her hometown to see her mother for the last time before the funeral. The emotional journey has drawn attention for the kindness and support shown by the group of students during a difficult moment. The students are in their fourth year at North Minzu University in Yinchuan, located in China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, reported the South China Morning Post.
According to reports, the female student learned on the evening of May 7 that her mother had died suddenly. The reason for her mother's death was not disclosed. As the student's hometown was located in a mountainous area, she explored different travel options before deciding that travelling by car would be the fastest way to reach home.
Her roommate then contacted fellow student Yu Jinhui, asking whether he could drive the grieving student back to her hometown. Yu, along with three other male students, agreed to help. The group picked up the student and comforted her as she was emotionally distressed at the time.
The journey began at around 1:30 am on May 8. Yu drove throughout the trip while his three companions stayed awake and spoke with him to help him remain alert during the long drive. After travelling for 13 hours, the group reached the student's village in Enshi, located in central Hubei province.
Yu said he stopped occasionally during the journey to rest, but the final stretch of around 100 kilometres pushed him close to his physical limits.
After arriving, Yu reportedly became unwell and vomited several times because he had consumed many energy drinks during the drive to stay focused.
The students also bought offerings and paid their respects to the female student's mother. The group stayed at the village for around two hours before beginning their return journey.
According to Yu, the student's family invited them to stay overnight and have dinner, but they politely declined because the family was grieving. Yu said the group spent a total of 5,200 yuan during the trip. The amount covered petrol, road tolls, food, hotel stays, offerings and a donation of 1,000 yuan given to the female student.
Speaking about the experience, the group said it was the most meaningful thing they had done in their lives. They added that although the journey was exhausting, they felt it was worth it.
After returning to the university on the evening of May 10, the students resumed work on their thesis submissions, which were due soon.
Yu later said they had only done what they could to help. He also expressed hope that people would focus less on them and instead show more kindness and warmth towards one another.
