'Gap night' at night schools in SW China's Chongqing promotes personal growth, social interaction

A gap year refers to a year in which young people take time off after graduation before pursuing further education or employment to travel, make overseas study tours, or offer volunteer services. However, since a gap year requires a significant time commitment, some Chinese internet users have condensed the concept to a "gap day," and even further to a "gap night," or "gap hour"—designating specific time slots for relaxation and personal pursuits.

Attendees of a night school dance to music in the Liangjiang Digital Economy Industrial Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Jiwen)

Today's trending night schools represent urban youth's version of a gap night. Recently, the Liangjiang Digital Economy Industrial Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality launched night schools for young makers and entrepreneurs, allowing them to explore unfulfilled dreams and new life possibilities during their gap nights after work hours.

As darkness fell, under the bright lights of an activity room in the industrial park, attendees were gathered to attentively listen to their instructor explain classical dance techniques.

This was the first dance class of the night school for young makers on March 3. After the class, attendees gathered to watch videos of their dance performance, with some practicing moves in front of mirrors while others discussed challenging techniques and shared what they gained from practice.

Yu Tingting, who works in the industrial park, downloaded the videos. "I'll definitely dance better in future classes," she said excitedly. After checking the course schedule, she's eager to try all offerings. "The night school right in the industrial park means no extra commute, which greatly increases my desire to learn," Yu said.

For HR director Jiang Ya, the night school not only provides physical exercise for body and mind relaxation, but also creates a social space that facilitates the exchange of information and ideas.

Employees in the industrial park share common professional experiences, increasing chances for them to meet like-minded partners and learn about current situations and trends in various industries, Jiang said.

This aligns perfectly with the founding purpose of the night school for young makers: offering a non-profit, open-door platform for young people to develop hobbies, make friends, and improve themselves.

Photo shows attendees at a class of the night school for entrepreneurs in the Liangjiang Digital Economy Industrial Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Jiwen)

"This year, we offer diverse courses including those on arts, professional skills and personal development according to the characteristics of employees in the industrial park. Once our enrollment information was released, a large number of employees signed up for the courses, and all spots for this month's courses were filled," said an official from the Party-mass service center in the Liangjiang Digital Economy Industrial Park, which is the organizer of the night schools.

As "night school fever" continues to heat up, Chongqing Zhiku Innovation Technology Development Co., Ltd. in the digital industrial park has chosen to focus on its areas of expertise to continue helping entrepreneurs realize their dreams.

"We've jointly prepared 12 courses with the night school for entrepreneurs, covering capability enhancement, business growth, and operational management. We hope entrepreneurs can learn more and engage in in-depth exchanges with their peers," said Huang Xiaoying, founder of the company.

By taking "gap nights" at night schools, people not only rediscover the satisfaction of learning itself but also experience the happiness of pursuing personal growth and social interaction.