A Chinese Love Story: Steps of Love

         

               I was browsing through the net, checking the lists of Chinese love stories. Then I came across this story, about a couple who have bravely fought for love, defied everyone, and faced everything against all odds. After watching a short documentary of their story on the net, I can’t help but be teary eyed.

              I remember a beautiful quote that I saw painted on a jeepney while I’m on my way home. It says, “Love is the best gift you can give to one another.” Just like the marriage vows of couples, through thick and thin, through sickness and in health, you must never leave your partner. That’s the real test of love. Love knows no age, time, race and boundary. 

             Below is the transcript that I’ve typed. I’d like to share this with everyone, to those following this blog of mine.  Just give the best love, and don’t be afraid to love. 

Steps of Love

In 2001 an expedition was found in the mountain through a dense virgin forest suddenly they saw a shabby house made of modern straw they were surprised to see a house at an altitude of 1500 meters who lived in it? They walked in and found an old man and a woman. This discovery unveiled a touching love story. 

The old man and woman were couple who lived there for about 50 years. They came from Zhongshan old town in Chongqing.  50 years previously the young man fell in love with the widow who was 10 years older than him with three kids. The love was not accepted by the family and the local society. They decided to escape from the gossip and so moved to the top of the mountain without any contact with the outside world. It was big challenge to live in the forest, they ate wild food, made everything by hand, and fought with wild animals. The couple and their seven kids managed to survive however.  Many years passed and the wife missed her relatives, and wanted to visit them but her legs were not flexible anymore because of the humid environment. The husband planned to construct the stone steps from mountain top to the bottom to fulfil her dream. The husband usually worked the whole day making the steps using the iron chisel just. He was a strong young man when he cut the first step but when he finished the last one he was over 70 years old. 

The husband Liu Guojia passed away in December , 2007. The wife, Xu Chaoqing passed away in October, 2012. The couple never said, “I love you” to each other, but the 6,000 stone-step path tells their love story quietly. Lots of pilgrimages of love include climbing the steps. A Hong Kong TV play series is based on the love story. A movie about the love story was first shown to the public in 2011.