Young, single and proud: advert in Beijing subway station asks parents to stop pushing for marriage
Group of singletons tries novel approach to get their message across to older generation
“Dear father and mother, don’t worry,” reads an unusual advert in one of Beijing’s busiest subway stations. “The world is so big. There are so many different ways of life. Singletons can also be happy.”
The plea that recently popped up at Dongzhimen Station is the work of a group of young people frustrated by the intense pressure from their elder family members to get married, known as bihun in Putonghua, according to a Xinhua report.
Tension over the issue usually peaks at Lunar New Year as relatives gather from across the mainland for a week of eating and visiting. For many young people, the haranguing can make the holiday an especially unhappy time.
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One of the founders of the group, 33-year-old Han Degan, said his parents had been urging him to get married since he was 25.
“When I was in high school, my parents didn’t want me to fall in love. Then they suddenly became impatient after I graduated from university,” Han was quoted by Xinhua as saying. “Two generations have very different views towards marriage and family.”
He met singletons with similar views online and they formed a small “alliance” with about 10 members. They created an advert to bring attention to their cause.
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According to Xinhua, the initial design featured a young woman with her hands crossed above her head in a “no” gesture and the characters for bihun crossed out on her shirt. But the idea was rejected by the advertising company and government officials, so the group toned it down with milder language. They are paying about 38,000 yuan (HK$45,050) for the ad space.
At the bottom of the poster, the group offers this suggestion: “One can be a good youth even when single. Spread the positivity of being a singleton”.
