A red banner in the back window of a car turned a long and tiring journey into a viral love story during China’s busiest travel season.
A 26-year-old man drove 932km through heavy holiday traffic to propose to his girlfriend, asking fellow travellers to let him pass so he could reach her in time.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Tan, who is from Jiangxi province in central China, runs a business in Fujian province.
In February, during the Spring Festival travel rush, he set off alone for Guizhou in southwestern China, where his girlfriend had returned to her hometown for Chinese New Year.
Banner that won hearts:
Before beginning the 12-and-a-half-hour drive, Tan placed a simple red banner in the back window of his car. It read: “Brothers, let me go first. I am heading to Guizhou to propose to the love of my life.”
Videos of the car were later shared online by other drivers who spotted the message on the highway. Many said they were touched by the romantic gesture.
Tan told Jiangxi TV that he put up the banner both to share his happiness and to help him move more easily through the severe congestion caused by the Spring Festival rush.
China’s annual travel period, known as chunyun, is often described as the world’s largest human migration. With train tickets and flights in high demand, many people choose to drive, leading to heavy traffic on highways across the country.
Despite the long journey, Tan said many people made way for him after reading the banner. Some honked their horns and waved. During one particularly long traffic jam, a woman even got out of her car to congratulate him.
“At first, the journey felt endless,” Tan said. “But the closer I got, the more excited I became. The kindness I received made my happiness even greater.”
His girlfriend had no idea he was planning to propose. The couple met at university and has been together for four years. She was surprised when Tan arrived and happily accepted his proposal.
On February 26, the couple returned to Jiangxi together.
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Social media reacts:
The story quickly went viral on mainland social media, with videos gaining more than two million views.
Online users congratulated Tan, with one joking that he must not disappoint his fiancée after so many drivers helped him along the way.
