FURRY POSTMAN: A toy panda, the mascot of the Slow Post store, stands beside mail boxes in the shop (LV ZHIQIU)

The image of a smiling panda suspended from a pole greets visitors along the Second Middle Street in the 798 Art Zone, a once industrial area that has been reclaimed as a gathering place for Beijing's innovative artists.

Located close to the center of the 798 district, the shop that boasts the panda outside also draws in passers-by with its name—Slow Post.

"I was attracted by the idea of slow post, and I wondered what the slow post could be like," said a visitor named Xie. "I stepped in because I was curious."

Many people have been as interested in the slow idea as Xie. One such person left a message in the store's visitor book, "In such a fast-tempo society, it is quite a special idea to offer slow delivery."

It is a small boutique filled with postcards and toys from the 1980s. It also delivers postcards and letters to appointed addresses at any date in the future.

"Slow is the unique theme of this shop," said Zhao Yue, one of the store's founders. "We want visitors to slow down here and take their time to think about the future and even write a letter to the future."

The shop's inspiration, according to Zhao, came from the arrival of delayed postcards. One of Zhao's friends went to southwest China's Yunnan Province and sent postcards to workmates. But the cards did not arrive as scheduled and took a whole month to arrive. They talked about the delay and agreed the slow mail gave them a unique surprise and unexpected joy. A suggestion was made to start a slow delivery service.

"Most of us were born in the 1980s," said Zhao. "We led a routine life of working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and wanted to make some changes."

LETTERS TO THE FUTURE: A customer views postcards designed by the Slow Post shopkeepers (LV ZHIQIU)

They chose the 798 area because it has developed a reputation for innovation and challenging convention.

Customers can send postcards or letters to the future; the store will keep the mail for years.

"So far, the most 'future' letter we have here is for delivery in 2059. It is being sent by a newly married couple for their golden marriage," said Zhao.

The storage fee is 10 yuan ($1.42) for the letter delivered in the same year. After the first year, the store charges 5 yuan ($0.71) for each additional year of safekeeping.

"We do this business just for fun," said Zhao. "For many people, the fun lies in forgetting about it and receiving the mail quite unexpectedly. For us, we are happy to see so many stories connected by our service."

Wang Haiyuan, another founder of Slow Post, said people choose slow mail for a variety of reasons—for a new experience, to remind themselves of a sweet memory or just to think about the future in the present.

Every day, the store receives letters with good wishes and words for memories that are bound for destinations in almost every corner of the world. A pregnant woman wrote a letter to her baby who will be born in five months; a fan of the movie 2046 wrote a letter to himself to see what he will be like after so many years; a grandfather with cancer wrote a letter to his five-year-old grandson to celebrate his 10th birthday by writing, "I hope I can celebrate this birthday with you."

"In order to guarantee that the mail will be delivered on time, we keep them in a rented bank safe deposit box," said Wang. "We will do our best to deliver the mail, even if the company no longer exists."

To Wang's delight, the store has gained a reputation since opening in January 2009. They now receive 100 pieces of mail every day. With business booming, two other branches have been opened in Beijing—one on Wangfujing Street and another in a Dongzhimen area shopping mall. Both locations are in bustling business centers of downtown Beijing. Soon, they will expand the business onto the Internet.

The storeowners also design most of the postcards and small souvenirs sold in their store and are exploring other products to showcase their ideas.

"We spare no efforts in improving our service and we will continue to play with innovative ideas to stay ahead," said Zhao.