光棍节是一种流传于年轻人的娱乐性节日，以庆祝自己仍是单身一族为傲。光棍节产生于校园，并通过网络等媒介传播，逐渐形成了一种光棍节的文化。

Just a few years ago, when November 11th came around, Chinese people just laughed and said, yes, it looks like it's Single's Day again. But now, the holiday has gained more popularity, partially thanks to merchants who are taking advantage of the festival. Many online dating websites are competing to promote their parties. This dating plan manager says people should make full use of this holiday to meet Mr. or Ms. Right.

"We want to provide an opportunity for singles to get to know each other. For example, we'll hang up many puzzles on the wall tonight for everyone at the party to guess. Such parties can create opportunities for these people to talk to each other."

Usually it costs 200 or 300 yuan to attend such a party organized by an online dating site, but now, many websites are only asking 50 yuan in order to attract more customers. Singles will find that nearly every dating website is promoting parties at a discount. At the same time, online stores are also busy selling products tabbed with Single's Day ads. Tang Linlin is owner of a store named Xixi's Innovative Studio on ,

"Our Single's Certificate is quite hot on sale. It looks like a fun passport. You can stick your photo in it and sign your signature. The seal on the certificate says it is authorized by the Single Lady and Single Man's Management Association. Some are also quite useful, such as a mouse pad printed with logos like "I'm the Best Single Lady of the year." Or a bumper sticker saying you'd better be single to roam the world. Buyers can hint to people around them that they are available by using these gadgets."

Yes, it's becoming quite cool nowadays to bravely announce oneself as single in China. According to a survey conducted by , one of China's largest job hunting websites, about 70 percent of married office workers in the capital say they miss their single days. The online survey was conducted during a two-week period among 1,000 office workers from Beijing, and 2,000 white collar workers from other big cities across the country. Nearly 58 percent of married respondents admitted they occasionally miss being single, and 12 percent frequently miss those days. Tang Linlin says she didn't expect so many buyers to visit her online store these days.

"We generally sell innovative gadgets used in daily life. There is also some quite funny stuff to make you laugh. The number of singles is mounting in China, and the Single's Day has become a festival with lots of fun, so we believe such a market has great potential. Many of my buyers buy interesting products for their single friends or they buy things for themselves."

Valentine's Day, a holiday introduced from Western countries that has taken deep root here in China, brings huge business for the Chinese market. But the Single's Day rooted in Chinese culture is also gaining popularity among Chinese themselves, and maybe one day, will become a popular holiday across the world.

For CRI, I'm Liu Min.

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