Singles' Day mirrors diverse values among young Chinese

BEIJING, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zuo Peng did not want to spend this "strange" day alone.

"All my friends are here. We will have a wonderful time today," said the 26-year-old man in his rented house in Beijing. Zuo invited his close friends for dinner.

"I just do not want to spend this strange day by myself," explained Zuo, who is single.

The strange day he mentioned refers to Singles' Day, which falls on November 11. Singles' Day in China got its name from the four "1"s that make up the date. The digits look like four bare sticks, which sounds similar to the Chinese word "guanggun," or "bachelor."

China had some 180 million singles who are looking for their spouses, according to a 2010 survey report jointly issued by the All-China Women's Federation and www.baihe.com, a popular matchmaking website in China.

Xue Yan is among them. But the 30-year-old single woman does not want to compromise her career for a marriage in hurry.

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