Pre-show reminder: This article involves a lot of copy-pasting (CV) operations.
In China, there are multiple Valentine's Days throughout the year, namely: Valentine's Day on February 14th, Internet Valentine's Day on May 20th, and the traditional Qixi Festival.
I have noticed in recent years (possibly due to my village getting internet access) that the term "Internet Valentine's Day" on May 20th has become increasingly popular. I often feel confused: why does 520 mean "I love you," why has this day also become Valentine's Day, and why is this phenomenon almost exclusive to mainland China? I searched online and found a popular explanation - the influence of internet songs.
On May 1, 1998, Faye Wong's song "Digital Love" was released, and there is a lyric that goes like this:
520 means I love you, 000 means kissing
3155530, it's all about missing you
520 means I love you, 000 means kissing
I think digital love is trending now
Even in a busy life, we still express our love to each other
In this song, she associated the numbers 520 with "I love you."
Later on, Wu Yulong's song "Internet Lover" firmly linked 520 with "I love you." In his song, not only does 520 appear, but also familiar phrases like 521 = "I'm willing" and 1314 = "forever."
My mood is refreshed by you,
Thank you, internet lover.
You share your joy with me,
We fell in love at first sight;
I send you "520,"
Making you overjoyed.
You reply with "521,"
1314, deep affection.
My mood is refreshed by you,
Thank you, my love.
I keep your secrets,
Our hearts are connected;
I say "I love you,"
Making you unable to resist.
You reply "I'm willing,"
Love forever.
This song is also known as one of the top ten classic internet songs. According to the records on Baidu Baike, from February 16 to March 2, 2006, in the 30th and 31st episodes of "Abu Talks About the Internet," a program broadcasted every Thursday on the official website of China International Broadcasting Station - "International Online - Internet Radio," "Internet Lover" ranked first among the "Ten Hottest Internet Songs of 2005." This is enough to show how popular this song was at the time.
Some people may find it hard to understand how the influence of a pun in a song can be so significant. In that case, I can only say that you may not be familiar with the pun "Chicken, You're So Beautiful." This pun has evolved from a joke to a cultural phenomenon. You can easily find many videos about this pun on Bilibili, including many high-quality creative videos. Therefore, it is not impossible for a song to spark a certain internet culture and develop into a consensus.
Of course, as an internet culture, there are also various explanations for the origin of "520, I love you." For example, there is another theory that "520" originated from a confession activity called "Nanjing University, I love you" initiated by students on a forum.
Regardless, the Internet Valentine's Day on May 20th is being accepted by more and more people. New couples choose this day to register their marriage, and netizens come up with creative ideas for confession on this day. Businesses also use this holiday for promotions. Everyone is enjoying this festival.
As for why young people are enthusiastic about such a holiday and the related reasons, I do not know. I searched around but couldn't find any convincing articles (maybe I'm not skilled enough).
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