On the afternoon of January 29, 2019, Nanjing Zijin Hospital hosted a handicrafts competition for recovering patients in its Jiangning ward, with 11 inpatients participating alongside their family members.
 

The entries, crafted through a variety of handmade techniques such as cross-stitch, origami, creative modular construction, and painting, showcase the authors’ remarkable creativity and imagination.
 

Most of the participants are individuals with brain or spinal cord injuries, whose thinking and physical mobility are impaired to varying degrees by their conditions. Some cannot move both hands freely, yet they persist in using tools to manipulate tiny colored beads, repeating thousands of motions to create a work of art; others, with trembling hands, grasp tweezers to pick up plastic beads again and again, assembling the words “Nanjing Zijin” and the logo of Nanjing Zijin Hospital. What may seem like simple actions to many require these patients considerable time, unwavering perseverance, and relentless self‑challenge.
 

Qi Yuliang, head of the Rehabilitation Therapy Center at Nanjing Zijin Hospital, said that engaging in handicrafts can help patients improve their hand function, particularly enhancing fine motor skills. It serves as an enjoyable form of rehabilitation exercise and allows the results of training to be expressed through tangible creations. Patients of different ages compete together, fostering mutual communication and encouragement, which encourages them to engage actively and participate proactively—thus broadening their emotional horizons. Completing these works also boosts participants’ confidence in their recovery.
 

Following the selection process, the participants each received distinct prizes. Their works will be displayed in prominent areas of the hospital, and this ongoing exhibition is intended to inspire future patients and bolster the confidence of those admitted later in their recovery journey.