Value of true romance in Love Stairs story
Couple's devotion sparks debate on what they can teach today's China fixated by material wealth
The intense coverage of an elderly Chongqing woman's funeral and the local government's plan to cash in on her extraordinary love story has become an allegory about true love and the growing cynicism about relationships on the mainland.
More than 200 family, friends and fans turned out to pay their respects as Xu Chaoqing, an otherwise humble farmer from Gaotan village in Jiangjin district, was laid to rest, the Chongqing Evening News said.
The interest in Xu's memorial service stemmed from her role in one of China's most famous modern tales of love and devotion, the story of Chongqing's "Love Stairs".
It began some 50 years ago, when Xu, then about 30 years old, fell hopelessly in love with a man from her village named Liu Guojiang. But Xu was a widow and expected not to remarry. Liu was 10 years her junior and expected not to love an older woman. Faced with disapproval from their village, they married and fled to a nearby mountain, where they spent the next few decades living a reclusive life in a modest shack they built.
Xu rarely left the house, but, when she did, she found the trip arduous. To make it easier on his wife, Liu began building a stone staircase to the 1,500-metre summit - 6,000 steps in all.
The staircase and the love story that led to its creation remained largely unknown until 2001, when, according to mainland media, tourists stumbled upon them and shared their story with the world. The Love Stairs and the house at the top soon became a symbol of a couple's devotion and a destination for lovers.
The simple, yet loving bond between Xu and Liu inspired works, including the 2010 Canto-pop hit Love Stairs by Hong Kong boy band C AllStar and last year's film Noble Love.