Ren, of Fuzhou, Fujian province, a junior college student, is one of the many enthusiasts who scout on Douban for pen pals on a forum dedicated to topics about handwritten letters.

Ren says he values the intimacy and individuality of handwriting, and the uninterrupted "soul to soul" exchanges in the form of traditional letters.

"Modern technology has reduced the distance between people in many ways, but in some way it has alienated us emotionally, and writing letters is a means of strengthening such connections," says Ren, who has found a couple of pen pals to correspond with regularly.

"You can almost read a person's feelings through their handwriting, and everything beyond words tells you something, too. You can't see that in digital messaging."

Today very few people write personal letters, even though many who have got used to instant communication tools such as emails, instant messaging or phone apps are nostalgic for the days of pen and paper.

Initiatives such as writing letters have been taken up enthusiastically by people who originally linked up with one another using the internet but wanted to try to interact in the more traditional way of personal letters.