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Tech platforms celebrate Chinese Valentine’s Day with discount HPV vaccinations, fatter digital red packets
- May 20 is a day of love spawned by the internet – the numerals 520 first gained popularity as online slang for “I love you” in China
- While traditional gestures of affection such as flowers are still popular, more quirky offerings are also being promoted as part of the occasion this year
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In China, February 14 is not the only day of love celebrated. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the Qixi Festival marks the meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in Chinese mythology, and more recently there is May 20, a day for lovers spawned by the internet.
The numerals 520 first gained popularity as online slang for “I love you”, because the phrase (wu er ling) is phonetically similar to the declaration of love (wo ai ni) in Mandarin.
As couples began observing the corresponding date with gifts and declarations, e-commerce platforms were quick to catch on by decking their homepages out with all-pink themes and promotions for flowers and romantic dinners.
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This year, as China gradually emerges from coronavirus lockdowns that separated many couples on the actual Valentine’s Day and throttled the economy, tech platforms are going all out to capture users on May 20.
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Among the more unusual offerings, social e-commerce company Pinduoduo is offering discounted vaccine packages to protect users against the human papillomavirus (HPV) – a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause cervical cancer – in 30 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
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