Chinese university students in Hong Kong seek love by joining arranged dates.
By Celina Lu
University student Kevin Xu Wenhao, who had seven girlfriends in high school and university, has participated in a dating event designed for Chinese university students studying in Hong Kong to find the love of his life.
“I want to be in love. Being engaged in a romantic relationship is very important for me, as it is part of my life. I have a hunger for love. I want to find the right person who can also be the driving force of my life,” Xu, who has taken part in the One Week Couple programme, says.
The programme operates in two ways: one-on-one and three-on-three.
In the one-on-one part, programme operators do matching for participants and each pair has to complete tasks assigned with the help of a mentor within a week. In the three-on-three part, there are three boys, three girls, and one mentor participating in the activities.
There are 420 people in the One Week Couple programme, 120 people for the one-on one-part and 300 people for the three-on-three part. More than 700 people have registered so far, so far about 300 people were screened out of this event.
Xu shares that he has a hard time looking for his love.
“I’m an introvert. I find it difficult for me to interact with strangers. So I joined the dating event to help me expand my social circle,” the Year Two student shares.
“I know such kind of activity might not be helpful, but there is still a possibility it can help me find the right girl. It doesn’t cost anything to join this event so I give it a try,” Xu, a Chinese Language and Literature student says.
Another university student, Felix Shangguan Yuqian, who had two girlfriends before, also participated in the dating event.
“During the week, a mentor gave us some tasks to complete. The tasks are usually about dining together, visiting each other’s schools, taking pictures together to pave the way for a romantic relationship to develop,” Shangguan, who joined the programme in March, recalls.
“I simply want to meet girls from other schools because my social circle is small. I also hope there is a chance for me to find a girlfriend,” the Year Five student says.
“The downside of such an event is that the matching is randomly done which means you may not be able to match with someone you’re willing to hang out with,” he adds.
Shangguan is about to graduate and has already found a full-time job. “My life is pretty much set at the moment. School and work bother me much less, so I have more energy for relationships now,” he says.
Pang Yuhuai, who studies at the City University of Hong Kong, is the organizer of the One Week Couple programme.
Pang shares that the activity is designed to provide a platform for all Chinese students to communicate with each other.
“It is a social activity that gives them a chance to expand their usual social circle,” he says.
“Many students may want to be in a relationship, but they cannot find their ideal half. This programme can give them a bigger platform to meet more people, and then give them more choices,” Pang adds.
The Year Two student shares that there are some successful cases in the programme. “Some participants find their love and develop long-term relationships after joining this programme,” he says.
Chan Lik Sam, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong reminds students to be cautious while building relationships with new faces with their hearts.
“While it is important to exercise caution when meeting new people, building a relationship involves opening our hearts to truly get to know another person and establish a common ground with them,” Chan says.
Edited by Cynthia Hu
Sub-edited by Sunnie Wu
