'I love yous' ring loud on riverfront for May 20
Ten couples participate in activities on the bank of the Yangpu river as they tied the knot on May 20. The date, 5/20, is seen as a romantic day in China because the numbers sound like "I love you" in Mandarin.
Wearing suits and wedding veils, 10 pairs of lovebirds tied the knot on the banks of the Huangpu River on Sunday as the date — May 20, or 5/20 — sounds similar to "wo ai ni," or "I love you," in Mandarin.
"It is a very sweet date," said a bridegroom surnamed Zhou. "We will remember the sweet moment forever and treasure our marriage with tolerance and love."
A special "marriage path" made a debut on the riverfront on Sunday, featuring 30 written wishes and thoughts on marriage collected from couples in Shanghai.
"These words reflect people's understandings of marriage in different periods of life," said Yu Weiting, director of the Yangpu District marriage registration center.
The oldest contributor is 85-year-old Feng Yunying, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and has been married for 58 years.
"I would not have the courage to live until now without your care and accompaniment over so many years," Feng wrote of her husband.
A couple walks the "marriage path" on the bank of the Huangpu River on May 20.
Ten couples who tied the knot in Yangpu District on Sunday pose on the riverfront to mark May 20, a date that sounds like "I love you" in Mandarin.
The 10 couples participated in a number of activities on the "marriage path" after signing their marriage certificates.
"I feel like enjoying a 50-year marriage journey after these activities, which have inspired me to think about the meaning of marriage," said one of the brides, surnamed Lu.
The couples were registered as "volunteer partners" after the ceremony and will participate in a number of charity service events to help children and seniors in need.
