Cupid on Campus

    The university population is the most fanatical of Valentine's observers. Having grown out of the "love taboo" of their middle school years and gotten past the burden of college entrance exams, they have never been as relaxed, free and in the mood for love.

    Exchanging gifts is the common practice on Valentine's Day, and flowers, chocolates and a Western dinner are the standards. But for college students, their Valentine's exchanges come more in the form of expressions of heartfelt desire. As flowers and chocolates symbolize sweetness and candle light dinners romance, the student couple may just go to a romantic film, which sends the same message at a price they can afford.

    Even that may be a luxury for college students from less developed areas and poor families, so, to make up for deficits in the wallet, a creative and thoughtful gift is called for. Wang Jun, a sophomore at Shanghai university and a native of rural Hubei Province, looked around last year and finally bought a pair of embroidered innersoles for his girlfriend back home. In his village, a piece of embroidery usually works as a token of love, so his girlfriend was touched when receiving his gift though it cost no more than a few yuan.

    Even popcorn and Kongming lanterns (said to be invented by Zhuge Liang, alias Kongming, the greatest strategist of the Three Kingdoms Period in the third century) constitute good valentines. In an extreme case, a boy convinced his dorm neighbors to switch on and off their room lights as he requested so as to form the Chinese character "心," which means "heart" and also "love" – a costless and priceless gift for his girlfriend.

    Students who do not have a date will get together with their friends or townsfolk on the day. "We all want love, and Valentine's Day gives us a chance to express and receive love," says Wu Yue, a postgraduate at Beijing Institute of Technology. Lu Yulin, a professor at the China Youth University for Political Sciences, believes that unlike the 1980s when Chinese youth adopted Western culture and customs for the novelty of their ideas and concepts, today's youth celebrate Valentine's purely for their desire for romance.

New Form, New Content

    Without the trappings of religious and cultural tradition, Chinese youth seems more open to a variety of ways of celebrating Valentine's. They see no reason why they should do as others do by having a candle light dinner, or going to the cinema.

    In recent years, the Internet has become Valentine's hunting ground for young people, particularly those whose circumstances keep them apart. Since the 2010 Valentine's concurs with the Spring Festival Day, many young people have planned to spend the day with their families while celebrating the Valentine's with their loved ones via the Internet.

    Promoted by university students, the meaning of Valentine's has also gone beyond love and romance for lovers. Progressives celebrate it as a day for universal love and gratitude and send gifts to their friends and teachers as well. They also go to cinema, but not necessarily with their date, and the film doesn't have to be romantic; it may be a Jackie Chan's stunt show confirming brotherhood. They will also have a special dinner, but not with their love only, nor in dim candlelight: a streetside food stall off the campus provides a more carefree site for youthful spontaneity.

    "Valentine's is no longer just lovers' day. It's a festival for all of us," says Zhou Sen, a fourth-year university student. "All the new ways to celebrate are meant to express happiness, and sometimes romance, which are universal," echoes Xiao Yang. Paula, an American student in Beijing, sums up his understanding of the Chinese Valentine's, "It's an 'excuse' for everyone to have fun."