Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Round Table.
Somewhere in China this week, a couple is getting married inside a park,
another one's tying the knot on a cruise ship,
and on a university campus, an algorithm just matched two strangers
with a 77% compatibility score, and it worked.
It is Qixi season, it's Chinese Valentine's Day.
Except the real legend behind it has almost nothing to do with romance,
at least the way we think about it.
Today, we'll get into the myth, the money, the apps,
and what falling in love in China actually looks like in 2026.
We're live from our studios here in Beijing.
This is Round Table. My name's Steve Hatherly,
and I thank you very much for being with us today.
And for the show, I'm with Fei Fei and Yushan.
First up: Every August, Qixi gets rebranded across social media
and shopping platforms as Chinese Valentine's Day.
Retailers push the roses, the couples' promotions, the whole script.
But the actual folklore behind the holiday tells a bit of a different story.
And so does the way young Chinese people are actually falling in love right now.