Chinese singles huddle for warmth on snowy "Single's Day"

BEIJING, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- By visiting cinemas and chinking wine glasses, China's singles reveled on Wednesday, the "Single's Day", to beat loneliness amid whistling wind and falling snowflakes.

In the country's major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, lonely hearts who knew each other on the Internet met and huddled for warmth.

Party invitations were posted in the cyber-space, calling for the participation of singles. Cinemas provided discounts, encouraging the singles to accidentally bump into "the one" by sitting next to him or her.

In the northwestern Shaanxi Province, netizens called on local singles to take No. 11 bus at 11 minutes past 11 o'clock on the day to socialize and "find the serendipity."

Guanggun Day, or single stick day, originated in the 1990s. College students came up with Nov. 11th with all its single digits to celebrate and perhaps wallow in the loneliest number.

"Although there is snow tonight, I prefer to wear skirt for the party," said a 28-year-old Beijing woman surnamed Ma, who was going to attend a party exclusively for the singles staged by a local matchmaker company.

"A red skirt would help me stand out in the crowd," she said.