Video project looks back at youth

Last month, Wei Longjie received a "time capsule" in the form of a short video from 2012 in which he spoke about his life and said some words to his future self.

Wei was one of nearly 100 graduates-to-be from Renmin University of China and other top universities who were interviewed in Beijing that year.

In the video, Wei said the moment of which he was most proud was when he was awarded as the "annual champion" in the local round of a national knowledge competition TV program in 2008 in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.

"That day, I had the highest 'paycheck' in my life, before now," Wei said, noting that he won 15,000 yuan ($2,150), a few electronic devices and plane tickets to South Korea.

He and the other winners even became role models for thousands of teenagers nationwide, many of whom wrote to him to express their admiration.

"So many things have happened in 10 years," Wei said, adding some of the winners had gone from being "attractive young men" to "fat uncles".

"Time is a butcher's knife, and sometimes it carves pigs, too," he said with a laugh, quoting an old Chinese saying. He mentioned that he had recently met a friend who had also been a provincial champion. "The girls who wrote him letters might not want to see him now," he said jokingly.

Gao Song, the video project's founder called it The Stories of Yuanbaoers, which refers to the interviewees and means "precious gold". At the time, he was a senior student at Renmin University.

He promised the interviewees that he would send them the videos in 2022, and also give them an opportunity to respond to their younger selves.

In the interviews, the Yuanbaoers shared their thoughts on their studies, lives, questions they had about their impending graduation and their expectations. In addition, they each addressed their future selves while looking into the camera lens.

"I started The Stories of Yuanbaoers because I was at a very confused stage of my life in March 2012. I felt that the people around me were the same as me. They didn't know what they were going to do in the future," Gao said.

He spent a year filming his classmates, friends and people around them. "They were all about 20 years old. Life was very confusing and full of infinite possibilities," he recalled.

Busy, contented

Wei loves Don Quixote, the tragic knight of Spanish literature, and is a hardcore fan of San Mao, a Chinese author who was internationally recognized for her tragic romantic life and descriptions of life in Western Sahara in the 1970s. He studied Spanish at college and lived in the country for more than six years after graduation.

"I really wanted to stay. It's my favorite country," he said. However, he is now a lawyer in Beijing.

Wei recalled a busy night recently. Not long after finishing a long project at midnight, he received a call only a few minutes later with a new task from his boss that he was required to finish by the following morning.

"I closed my laptop, lit a cigarette, shed some tears quietly and went back to work after a short break," Wei said, adding that he wasn't able to go to bed till 4 am, but he still had to join a meeting at 9 am.

Although things can be tough sometimes, Wei doesn't regret working and living in Beijing. He believes that whatever difficulties we face, they are the result of our own decisions and it's meaningful to overcome them and move toward the next goal.

"Nothing is easy. Every choice I have made must have been the best. If you ask me to score my experiences, I give 100 to each," he said, sharing the most important lesson life has taught him in the past decade.

However, he is surprised to find out that he has now added "time" to the list of the most precious things in life, and it is at the top of the list.

"Ten years ago, time was our advantage. We had nothing but time. Now it's reversed. A lack of time has become our disadvantage at this age," he said.

In the 2012 video, Wei looked into the camera and told his future self: "For the coming 10 years, I hope you become more calm and peaceful. Whatever happens, embrace it bravely."

Future plans

In another video, Guan Bichen, then 21, said she was busy considering going overseas for further study.

As a psychology major, she felt most proud of her volunteer work as a peer counselor once a week in dorm buildings at Renmin University, helping those who had questions and needed to talk.

"I am devoted to student work as a class leader in university, and now I feel that I can help more," she said in the video.

Pengbei-"Friends and Peers"－the volunteer organization she joined also started in 2012, so this year marks its 10th birthday. In the past decade, it has helped thousands of students and provided a template for other universities to follow.

"I'm very happy to see that a seed we planted 10 years ago is now blossoming. It feels great to hear the name mentioned in the 'time capsule' and it brings up many precious memories," Guan said.

Self-realization has always been her ultimate goal. The 32-year-old, who has just earned a doctorate, recently started working as a research fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia.

"The years between 20 and 30 should be the time when we keep moving toward our next goal, embracing opportunities and overcoming difficulties. It's the definition of that age," she said.

Now, in the field of management-related psychology, Guan believes her research provides practical help for companies and organizations.

"When I think of how others can get useful information from my results, I feel encouraged," she said. "To strive to achieve one goal after another has been my way of life, and I thank my younger self, who studied and worked really hard, that I have become the current me," she said.

Her next goal is to find a permanent job as a lecturer at a university. "When you have a goal to achieve, it can cause anxiety, mostly because of the uncertainty one can't control," Guan said. "I'm still learning to deal with that anxiety."

The past decade hasn't all been peace and accomplishment for her, though.

"My mom died of an illness in 2016, I couldn't believe that disasters really happen. I mean, they happen, but I never thought they would happen to me. I couldn't accept that fact for a long time and I thought it was unfair," she said. "I had just finished my master's when my mother died, and I thought our new life was about to begin. I won't have the chance to share my achievements with her anymore."

After experiencing the deaths of family members－something she failed to take into consideration in her early 20s－Guan has learned to cherish time spent with family members.

In fact, her greatest joy in the past 10 years came when her parents visited Australia during her exchange. She rented a car and drove them around the country. They visited several cities in one month, including Brisbane, the city in which she now lives.

"My mom loved it here. She said it was cozy, similar to Jiangmen, my hometown," Guan said with a smile.

Just like 10 years ago, Guan recently sat in front of Gao's camera and addressed her future self in 10 years: "I hope you stay positive and hardworking, and you remain true to the ideals of your younger self. Keep growing. Be healthy."

Be happy, be healthy

"Be happy" and "be healthy" are the most frequent words the Yuanbaoers say to their future selves.

The interesting thing that Gao has noticed about the several Yuanbaoers that he has met this year is that they have grown more resolute and have more specific life goals.

"Our early 20s were full of possibilities, and when we talked about the future we didn't really know where we were going. Now, the way is clearer for many of us," he said.

Last month, Gao began a yearlong project to interview all the Yuanbaoers to record their responses to the words they said a decade ago and their expectations for the next 10 years.

"I want to hold an exhibition, if possible, and play the edited videos in a hall," he said. "Many people feel confused in their early 20s, so when young people see the stories of the Yuanbaoers, they may gain some inspiration and ideas."