College students share umbrellas on scorching days in China

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01:22

Men often feel embarrassed when holding an umbrella to avoid sunshine in hot summer days, but in a local university in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, some Chinese college boys have found a new way to do this. Now they choose to share an umbrella with a girl by dropping a message in a chat group on QQ, a widely-used instant messaging app in China.

The service was launched by a student organization in the North University of China and now has more than 300 members, of which male members make up around 65 percent. By simply dropping a message in the group, one can easily find an umbrella holder to share with.

Junior student Lin Huizhi is with this organization named "Biao Bai Qiang." She said they set up this service in mid May, in order to make it convenient for students travelling on campus both in sunny or rainy days.

A girl offers to share an umbrella to a boy in the North University of China. /CGTN Photo

A girl named Li Aina offered a hand to Hu Chao, a boy who asked to share an umbrella in the QQ chat group. Hu Chao told CGTN, "I feel quite embarrassed if I'm holding an umbrella just by myself."

And Li Aina said, "I'm happy to help people as much as possible."

While some students see the service as not necessary but just a way to meet girls, most speak highly of it.

Li Aina and Hu Chao talked to CGTN about the umbrella sharing service. /CGTN Photo

Wang Junwen, another boy on campus, is never afraid of the sunshine. But he agrees with the sharing service, "most boys actually feel uncomfortable being exposed to strong sunshine. Many of them also use creams to protect their skin. But due to social pressure, they often feel ashamed of holding an umbrella by themselves. So the sharing service is a smart way for men to protect themselves".

It seems that stereotypes of men have been changing a bit over the years in China. "I think it's good that a man can hold an umbrella for his own sake," a girl named Niu Wenjia said confidently.