Article
Jia Linan & Liu Zhenshan
Newlyweds Jia Linan and Liu Zhenshan have put off plans for a honeymoon until after the Olympics.
Photo: Edwin Lee
Joining 2,400 other couples tying the knot on August 8 in Beijing's largest district of Chaoyang were bride and groom Jia Linan, 30, from Tianjin, and Beijinger Liu Zhenshan, 29. Auspicious in its own right because of the number of '8's in the date, the fact that the Olympics started on the same day was an added prompt to some to get hitched on that Friday. Once married, couples signed their names on pink billboards outside a government office, which had been converted to a marriage hall for the day to cater for the extra demand.
How did you two first meet? Was it love at first sight?
It was an activity organised by a Beijing TV station. We were taken to the Fragrant Hills and introduced to each other. We met by chance really. We got along very well, and that was the start of it. We have been together quite a long time now.
When did you decide to get married?
It was around the beginning of 2007.
Did you decide then that you wanted to get married on this date?
We decided there and then that we'd try to get the date. We were a little worried because we knew it would be popular, so as soon as the register office opened in June to take bookings, we rang up. And we were delighted we got the day. You only get this chance once in a hundred years, but this year it's so much more special because of the Olympics. Years with '6' are also really popular, but I looked on the internet and saw that in 2006, on June 6th, the number of couples that got married on that day was about 4,800 in Beijing. The article said that it expected 10,700 couples to get married on August 8 this year.
Was the atmosphere what you expected it to be on your big day?
Oh, absolutely. Apparently a thousand couples had been married by 10.30am. The doors opened at 6am, we were told. It was far more exciting than we ever could have imagined. And we have been given special cards to commemorate the day.
Are the Olympics going to affect your lives in any way?
Not directly, but it's so good for China and we are Chinese, so it's a benefit to all of us.
Are you going to any of the events?
No, but we will watch a lot of it on television.
So are you planning to go on honeymoon?
Well yes, but not until after the Olympics.