Every day when she crosses the street, she bows and waves to the uncles and aunties driving. The polite gratitude shown by the 12-year-old “bowing girl” has warmed the hearts of many. The girl said that bowing was simply her way of expressing thanks to the drivers who stop to let pedestrians cross; if the other party waves back, she can stay happy for the whole day.
In a video that has been widely circulated on social media recently, a female student suddenly stopped while crossing the zebra crossing, turned around and gave a deep bow to the driver, then smiled and waved goodbye. This positive and extremely polite gesture touched not only the driver but also attracted waves of praise from netizens.
Many netizens commented that seeing such an act while waiting for pedestrians to cross would be enough to brighten their day. Some pedestrians mentioned that they would raise a hand or nod to show appreciation to drivers who give way, but have never bowed 90 degrees like the girl.
Liu Kexuan said that every morning on her walk to school, she greets the drivers who stop to let pedestrians cross with a gesture. When there are many pedestrians, she bows; when there are fewer people, she just waves her hand, so as not to take up too much time.
Some netizens speculated that the girl's “bowing and waving” gesture might have been inspired by Japanese bowing culture, or perhaps she comes from a Japanese family.
In fact, this “bowing girl” is a native Singaporean named Liu Kexuan, 12 years old this year, studying in Secondary 1 at Bartley Secondary School.
When interviewed by Lianhe Zaobao on Tuesday, she said she started bowing and waving about three months ago. At the time, there was a “bowing” trend on social media, and after seeing a video her friends filmed playing with the meme, she felt the gesture was both fun and polite.
With her friends' encouragement, she also began bowing to drivers when crossing the street, and gradually it became a habit. Liu Kexuan said: “My friends thought I was quite bold, so they encouraged me to give it a try. I also wanted to thank those drivers who patiently wait for pedestrians to cross the zebra crossing.”
Liu Kexuan said she greets the drivers who stop to let people cross every morning on her walk to school. “When there are a lot of people crossing, I take the chance while the driver is waiting to bow in thanks; when there are fewer people, I just wave, so it doesn’t take too much time.”
Regarding netizens who questioned whether this was a prank, Liu Kexuan denied it, stating that she does not do it to follow a trend. She said: “When I bow, my friends nearby sometimes feel embarrassed and run away, but I think this is a positive action and nothing inappropriate.”
Some drivers also wave back at her after she bows, and some even smile at her, which makes her very happy.
Liu Kexuan also shared that she once got her mother to bow with her. Although her mother only joined her in bowing that one time, she was gratified by her daughter's politeness and complimented and encouraged her to continue.
Bartley Secondary School's principal, Seah Ying Leng, said in an interview that after Liu Kexuan’s bowing video went viral online, many alumni, school advisory committee members, and parents felt very proud.
Seah Ying Leng said: “I praised Kexuan at the school assembly, and her classmates cheered her on... Kexuan’s example lets students know that the school not only values academic achievement, but also places importance on character.”
Seah Ying Leng noted that the former CEO of Singapore's Kindness Movement, Dr. William Wan, was an alumnus of Bartley Secondary from the 1960s, and has long advocated kindness and courtesy among Singaporeans. “The school has had a senior alumnus actively promoting the spirit of kindness for years, and now we have Liu Kexuan putting it into practice — carrying on this tradition.”