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SHANGHAI, China —
Instead of celebrating the end of China’s highly competitive college entrance examinations with a graduation vacation, an 18-year-old student from Shanghai chose a very different path — secretly travelling hundreds of kilometers to help flood victims in southern China.
Wu Yulun told his parents he was going on a holiday to Wuxi, a city west of Shanghai. In reality, he and one of his classmates travelled to Hengzhou in Guangxi, one of the areas hardest hit by severe flooding, to volunteer in disaster relief efforts.
The teenager later explained that he hid the truth because he did not want his family to worry about his safety.
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A Graduation Trip Turned Into a Humanitarian Mission
Wu had just completed the Gaokao, China’s national college entrance examination, and like many students was planning a graduation vacation.
However, after seeing an online appeal from a volunteer organization requesting urgent assistance in Guangxi, he decided to cancel those plans.
He contacted the volunteer group, which informed him that additional volunteers were desperately needed to move and distribute emergency relief supplies.
Without hesitation, Wu invited his classmate Xin Ziyu to join the mission.
The pair travelled together to Hengzhou, where communities were struggling to recover from devastating floods caused by days of typhoon-triggered rainfall.
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Helping Where It Was Needed Most
Upon arriving in the disaster zone, the two students joined local volunteers in carrying food, drinking water, daily necessities and emergency supplies to affected residents.
Rather than spending their post-exam holiday sightseeing, the teenagers spent long hours unloading trucks, transporting aid packages and supporting rescue logistics.
Their efforts became part of a much larger volunteer operation working alongside local authorities and relief organizations.
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Deadly Floods Strike Guangxi
The flooding in Guangxi followed days of heavy rain brought by a powerful typhoon system.
Large areas were submerged, forcing evacuations and causing extensive damage to homes, roads and infrastructure.
According to reports, the disaster claimed 39 lives, while thousands of residents were affected across multiple communities.
Volunteer groups quickly appealed for additional manpower as relief supplies continued arriving in the region.
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Parents Learned the Truth Later
Wu admitted that he intentionally told his parents he would be travelling to Wuxi instead of Guangxi because he feared they would oppose the trip due to safety concerns.
Only after completing the volunteer work did his family learn where he had actually gone.
His story has since attracted widespread attention across Chinese social media, with many praising the teenager’s compassion, courage and willingness to sacrifice his holiday to help strangers in need.
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Why It Matters
While many graduates celebrate the end of school with vacations, Wu Yulun chose to spend his time serving communities devastated by natural disasters. His story has inspired discussions about volunteerism, civic responsibility and the impact young people can make during times of crisis.
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TAD Perspective
Acts of kindness often emerge during the darkest moments. Wu Yulun’s decision to exchange a graduation holiday for humanitarian work reminds us that compassion can come from ordinary people willing to step forward when others need help most. His story also reflects how today’s young generation can use their time and energy to make a meaningful difference beyond the classroom.
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Sources
South China Morning Post (SCMP)
Shanghai Daily / City News Service
Official volunteer reports
