It’s no secret that the provincial government’s latest PR campaign is “Happy Guangdong“, focusing on how this place is so much more than just cheap migrant labour. While Guangdong may be rich, the comrades in charge are making sure to point out that they are also happy, harmonious even, in the words of Hu Jintao.
With this in mind, netizens across the region voted for the “10 Best Husbands and Wives” in Guangdong to showcase how love really does last here, despite the plethora of mistresses. The Nanfang Daily has the details:
The competition, held by the Women’s Federation of Guangdong Province, started receiving applications in May this year and attracted more than a thousand participantswho told their love stories through the Internet and received votes from netizens. Up to August 26, more than 10 million people cast their votes.
So who won this thing?
The award of “Best Golden Couple” (those married for more than 50 years) is granted to Yang Yingbin and Zheng Liya, a highly-respected couple both in their nineties. Yang and Zheng met during the second Sino-Japanese War in 1938. While they had grown deep feelings for each other ever since, they made a mutual agreement and didn’t get married until the day after the Japanese troops signed to surrender. After that, Yang and Zheng went through the brutal Cultural Revolution and held on to each other ever since.
Except for the deep love between the two of them, they also showed their selflessness to the outside world by cumulatively giving needy people tens of thousands of RMB.
We’ve never had one single fight, not even a quarrel,” said Zheng, the wife, when she recalled the past 74 years they have been in love.
Yes, it’s comforting to know that long-lasting love can be found here in “Happy Guangdong”.
(Translations done by Ellen Wang)
