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What Else is in

a Blind Box?

“Love”

Young people in China have come up with
a way of exchanging contacts through

blind boxes to meet new friends.

By Ryan Li

teven Zhang*, a 25-year-old since September 10, 2021. He has add- 單盲盒) in Chinese, buyers pay for a
bachelor in Guangzhou, China, ed contacts of 10 girls to his WeChat blind box containing a note with con-
Sjoined Blind Box for Love on friend list so far. They have short and tact information of a stranger.
September 13, 2021, wishing to find a simple conversations most of the time A participant can leave his or her
lover. due to “lack of common topics”. WeChat account on a note in a paper-
He received two friend requests made blind box or take a note left by
through WeChat, an instant chat ap- Inside the Blind Box others. No further information other
plication in China, after leaving his Blind Boxes operate like toys than gender is required. Each box
contact in a blind box that cost him packed in boxes with the same ap- costs RMB ¥1-2 (US $0.16-0.31). Then
RMB ¥2 (US $0.31). He had chats with pearances and sold by vending ma- participants can make use of contact
his new friends, exchanging basic in- chines or in stores. In Blind Box for information inside blind boxes to
formation such as age and hobbies. Love activities, or Tuodanmanghe (脫 start a conversation through WeChat.
“I have very long working hours “
and have no time to make new
friends,” says Zhang who works in the I wanted to see what kind of people I
construction industry. He thinks that
Blind Box for Love provides a new would meet by luck, out of curiosity.
way to start a romantic relationship.
Zhang has already participated in
several different blind box activities
”