Lost diary by China girl becomes message book for tourists at New Zealand site, starts legacy
Youngster fills out just one page before accidentally leaving it behind; people from around the world care for it, pen heartfelt notes inside
A girl from southern China accidentally left her diary notebook at a tourist hotspot in New Zealand, only for it to become an unofficial guestbook for people from around the world to sign.
Six-year-old Zi Handong from Shenzhen went on a family trip to Lake Tekapo with her family in January.
On the first page of her blue-coloured diary, she wrote about her experience in Chinese characters and pinyin.
“Today, my mum, dad, brother and grandma went on a jet boat. I thought it was one of those shark-shaped jets, but it was a boat with a lot of people on board, and it drove very slowly.”
The diary was dated January 31, 2025.
The little girl then forgot to take it with her when she left Lake Tekapo.
Before long, it was discovered by another Chinese tourist, who wrote on the next page: “I hope you can come back and retrieve it.”