Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day, is evolving beyond its original focus on love, as many young people are increasingly embracing self-expression and personal fulfillment, shifting the emphasis from romantic gifts to individual treats.
This year's Qixi Festival falls on Saturday.
At Chinese capital city Beijing's vibrant shopping zones, many people are redefining the celebration of Qixi.
"I specifically came to buy a cup of Qixi-themed coffee during my lunch break at work. Drinking this coffee is a small ritual for my hardworking day," said a resident in Beijing.
Instead of waiting for a gift from Mr. Right, many people picked gifts for themselves in stores.
"I bought a bottle of perfume. I knew there was a Qixi-themed pop-up perfume store here, so I came to check it out. It's beautiful and great for photos. It feels like the marketing isn't just targeting couples but can perfectly hit every girl," said another Beijing resident.
According to an iResearch report, singles are rapidly emerging as a significant consumer group in China, with their spending increasing by 15.2 percent to 4.9 trillion yuan in 2023.
Service providers including retailers and restaurants are taking this opportunity to launch new products and services.
Many restaurants are offering exclusive singles sets for Valentine's Day, with prices ranging from under 100 to nearly 2,000 yuan.
"We've introduced some dishes with Qixi Festival elements. The singles economy is becoming a major part of consumer spending in first-tier cities. The rate of singles in Beijing is increasing annually. We see great potential in this market, especially given the high number of office workers here who might need our services," said Yang Chunlong, co-founder of Hu Tea House Hotpot.
"We previously did a balloon giveaway on Children's Day and found that many adults liked it too. So we decided to give out balloons at the Qixi Festival. It's a day all about love, and we want everyone to feel a bit of that joy," said Wang Xuefei, manager of a store named Koukoo.
Official estimates suggest that by the end of 2024, the number of single individuals in China could surpass 300 million.
Chinese Valentine's Day sparks consumption
Scenic spots were shut, crops were harvested and residents were evacuated to temporary shelters on Sunday in east China's Zhejiang Province, as the East China Sea coastal province took proactive steps to safeguard local residential communities before the arrival of Typhoon Bebica.
Typhoon Bebinca, the 13th this year, made landfall near the Chinese financial hub of Shanghai on Monday morning.
Before its landfall, the scenic spot of Haitian Yizhou (which literally means "Ocean-Heaven Shoal"), nestled on the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Bridge, was abruptly closed on Sunday morning.
Unwary travelers who ventured there were promptly advised to depart, with local authorities also temporarily blocking access roads.
In Huzhou, a city of Zhejiang, gusts whipped up waves as high as two meters along the south bank of Lake Taihu on Sunday afternoon, prompting the closure of the scenic area and the safe evacuation of visitors.
Similar protective measures were enacted in Wenzhou, where a beach was closed.
To protect mature farm crops from the onslaught of Bebica, efforts have been made throughout Zhejiang to harvest those that are ripe for picking. In the city of Pinghu, farmers were seen toiling diligently to gather their ripe yields before the arrival of the typhoon.
Greenhouses across the region were reinforced to resist the battering winds and heavy rains, with meticulous drainage preparations underway to protect from waterlogging.
In Tongxiang City, farmers hastened the persimmon harvest to prevent fruit loss.
"For us, the top priority is to finish persimmons harvest before the typhoon arrives. Persimmons are heavy, and once the rain comes, they may easily fall onto the ground," said Yang Mengxian, a farmer.
The aquaculture community also sprang into action, accelerating the harvest of aquatic goods and fortifying their dwellings in key bases like Ninghai and Cixi.
As a precaution, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued a directive to enhance coordination of cold storage facilities for storing freshly harvested fruits and vegetables, aiming to minimize the impact of the typhoon on agricultural production.
Temporary shelters have been put into use in Ningbo to house residents evacuated from vulnerable or dilapidated structures prone to geological disasters and flash floods.
As the Mid-autumn Festival draws near, a time for family reunions, evacuees were not only provided with essential supplies but also traditional mooncakes.
An indoor stadium of a local primary school, which has been repurposed as a temporary shelter for the first time, started to receive local residents evacuated.
"People keeps coming to this site, and locals prefers staying at this shelter when the typhoon hits. Once the rainstorm subsides, we will send them back home safe and sound," said Zhou Shanhua, manager of the temporary shelter.
To cope with Typhoon Bebica, Daishan County of Zhejiang's Zhoushan City has set up 14 temporary shelters.
The largest venue, situated within a local school, has already received over 1,500 evacuees transported from a nearby island, ensuring their safety and well-being.
East China's Zhejiang takes precautions against Typhoon Bebica
