Title: The Phenomenon of "520" - Chinese Internet Valentine's Day
Preface: This article involves a lot of copy-pasting (CV) operations.
In China, there are multiple Valentine's Days throughout the year, namely: February 14th, the traditional Valentine's Day; May 20th, the Internet Valentine's Day; and the traditional Qixi Festival.
I have noticed that in recent years (possibly due to the internet being accessible in my village), the term "520" has gradually become popular on May 20th, the Internet Valentine's Day. I often feel confused: why does "520" mean "I love you," why has this day 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 1st, 1998, Faye Wong released a song called "Digital Love," which includes the following lyrics:
520 is "I love you," 000 means "kissing"
3155530, it's all about missing you
520 is "I love you," 000 means "kissing"
I think digital love is trending now
Even in our busy lives, we still need to 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 he mention "520," but also other well-known phrases like "521" meaning "I'm willing" and "1314" meaning "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,"
And you're 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,"
And you can't help but feel it.
You reply with "I'm willing,"
Love forever.
This song is also regarded as one of the top ten classic internet songs. According to Baidu Baike, from February 16th to March 2nd, 2006, in the 30th and 31st episodes of "Abu's Internet Talk" on the official website of China International Broadcasting Station's "International Online - Internet Radio," "Internet Lover" ranked first among the "Top Ten Hottest Internet Songs of 2005." This shows how popular the song was at that time.
Some people may find it hard to understand how the pun in a song can have such a big influence. In that case, you may not be aware of the pun "Chicken, You're So Beautiful." This pun has become a cultural phenomenon, from its initial parody to now, where you can find many videos about this pun on Bilibili, including 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 various explanations for the origin of "520, I love you." For example, there is another explanation 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, "520," is being accepted by more and more people. New couples choose this day to register their marriage, internet users come up with creative ways to express their love, and businesses use this holiday for promotions. Everyone is enjoying this festival.
As for why young people are enthusiastic about this 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).
References: