Love is in the air in Lijiang as city holds mass blind date

They say love is blind. At least it was in Lijiang on Sept 15 as the Yunnan city famed for its romantic feel held a mass blind date.

The event kicked off as a group of women dressed in traditional clothes of the Naxi ethnic group serenaded the men while perched on a picturesque bridge, a custom common to the Naxi people.

Participants came from all over China and had the opportunity to get to know each other while learning about the Naxi language and guessing the meaning of Dongba characters.

The Dongba symbols are ancient pictographic glyphs used by priests of the Naxi people more than 1,000 years ago, often to prompt recitals of ritual texts.

He Liping, head of Lijiang Old Town’s protection and management bureau said the activity aims not only to strengthen communication between the visitors but also to make Lijiang a "romance hub."

The young would-be-couples also got the chance to experience a traditional Naxi wedding, where priests of the Dongba religion – which is a form of Shamanism – are invited to chant scriptures.

After a walk through Lijiang's famed Old Town, the blind date party was invited to join a newly-married couple's wedding festivities.

Following a glutinous wedding feast, a Naxi matchmaker taught visitors how to make the local traditional moon cakes to pray for a happy wedding.

"I like Lijiang a lot. If I can find my love here I will stay in this heaven-like place forever," said one single woman, who has been living in Lijiang for four years. One of the group leaders at the blind date, a Naxi lad, said that aside from helping him meet a lover, the activity provided an opportunity to visit many places in Lijiang that he had never been. "These places are Lijiang’s roots symbolizing the city’s characteristic culture. I would like to introduce my friends to visit these places, including the Old Town’s historical and cultural museum," he said.

Aside from its obvious social function, the blind date was aimed at publicizing Lijiang’s Naxi ethnic wedding traditions and enriching visitors' tourist experiences, according to the event's sponsor.

Participants of the blind date activity don traditional Naxi clothes and learn a dance.[Photo/ynci.cn]

Single men hope to catch the attention of women on the opposite side of the bride as they sing to them. [Photo/ynci.cn]