Woman’s diary goes viral as lockdown in China forces her to stay with blind date

Wang went for dinner at date’s house in Zhengzhou when Covid forced thousands into quarantine

A Chinese woman has become an overnight sensation after she posted video diaries documenting her life after being stuck at a blind date’s house.

Wang went for dinner on Sunday at her blind date’s residence in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, where a recent outbreak of Covid cases sent thousands into quarantine in parts of the city. As she was finishing her meal, the area was put under lockdown.

She was unable to leave her date’s house as result, she told the Shanghai-based news outlet the Paper this week, saying she had gone to the city for a week-long trip to meet potential suitors from the southern province of Guangdong.

Wang quickly shared the bizarre experience with friends on social media. “I’m getting old now, my family introduced me to 10 matches … The fifth date wanted to show off his cooking skills and invited me over to his house for dinner,” said Wang in one of the videos.


She also posted short videos documenting her daily life in lockdown on WeChat, which show her date cooking meals for her, doing household chores, and working on his laptop while she sleeps, according to clips published by local Chinese media.

“Besides the fact he’s as mute as a wooden mannequin, everything else [about him] is pretty good,” Wang told the Paper on Tuesday. “Despite his food being mediocre, he’s still willing to cook, which I think is great.”

Although Wang did not seem to complain about the experience, the prolonged lockdown has not caused romance to bloom.

Wang’s experience is not unique. Last month a man found himself under lockdown while moving his luggage in Xi’an in the north-western Shaanxi province. He had to borrow a duvet from neighbours.

What was unexpected for Wang, however, is that her video diaries became an online sensation on China’s social media platform, Weibo. A related hashtag has been viewed more than 5m times across China.

But Wang’s fame also led to embarrassment for her date. She has now taken down some of the videos. “Friends have been calling him and I think this has definitely affected his life, so I have taken them down for now,” she said in a video posted on Tuesday.

“Thanks everyone for your attention … I hope the outbreak ends soon and that my single sisters also find a relationship soon.”

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