“She suffered from great pain brought by war. May peace prevail on earth, and people like you be treated with kindness in the afterlife,” a Sina Weibo account posted after Hao Yuelian, who was made a sex slave by the Japanese in 1943 and had been infertile ever since, died on Sept. 28 of this year.

From scientists who contributed a lot to the country, to ordinary people who died due to accidents or diseases, the team behind this Weibo account has been helping people express their grief by writing memorials for the past seven years.

“Every day, people are facing the death of relatives or friends and contributing essays to our account,” said a team member, adding that they want to do something to let these people know they are not alone.

The team's initiator, Lin Dongping, disclosed that in the beginning, they could only search for posts about the dead using keywords and clues provided by their followers. As the platform became more popular, relatives and friends of the deceased started to offer information to the team directly.

Apart from writing content about the dead, the team also posts stories about those who bravely fight against diseases and their positive attitude towards life, in a bid to encourage others.

The team also offers counseling services for those who have recently lost loved ones and a platform to express their grief, said Zhang Chun, director of the Nanjing Psychological Crisis Intervention Center.

Zhang added that by doing so, people left behind are better able to cherish the present and start a new life with the help and encouragement of others.

The director also suggested that civil administration departments should incorporate grief counseling into their services, as there is a huge demand for grief professionals and those with the necessary skills are in short supply.