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In this two-part episode, 11 LGBTQ expats and local Chinese folks share their experiences dating in China, in provinces including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu and more. In this first part, get ready to hear about love at first sight, catfishing, unicorn hunting, a date with Marvel's hottest Avenger (listen to find out who) and lots of other good and bad date stories! Stay tuned for Part 2 next week. Show Chapters:  5:50 Alicia  7:30 Dani  9:06 Brian  11:31 Lydia  20:32 Cean  26:25 Natasha  29:33 Jevon   31:25 Toria  32:36 Kiki  34:55 Catherine  36:43 Chris Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Get in touch and ask for our media interview form! (Add Rachel on WeChat: rachelweiss22) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

[VIDEO] We asked people to finish this sentence: "Dating in China is like...."  Is it an adventure? Is it like walking through traffic in China? Is it just like dating anywhere else? Listen to their diverse responses through audio, and check out the full video on YouTube.  We are excited to announce Date Night China's video launch on YouTube, Bilibili, and WeChat video! We are going to continue sharing stories about dating, relationships, cross-cultural dating differences, mental health, and meaningful connections in China - and video stories are a way to dive deeper with these topics. Follow us on these platforms to see more of our video content!  Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Get in touch and ask for our media interview form! (Add Rachel on WeChat: rachelweiss22)  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

Chaniece, an American who has lived in China for 8 years, just got married to her Chinese partner Terry at the end of lockdown in Shanghai – through Zoom! She shares about meeting him in a Shanghai vegan group, her experience dating as a black woman in China, and what it's been like being in a Black Women / Asian Male relationship (BWAM). Chaniece also talks about how she and Terry handled lockdown in Shanghai, the importance of learning your partner’s culture and language, and why, after 5 years together, they got married online. Follow her on Youtube, IG, Tiktok, and Twitter by searching @thisischaniece. Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Get in touch and ask for our media interview form! (Add Rachel on WeChat: rachelweiss22) Date Night China is a digital media brand and international community based in China. We produce a podcast, videos, & articles, and host events that help people connect, expand their cultural perspectives, and share stories related to dating and relationships in China. Follow us on YouTube and WeChat for more video and article content. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

This week we are joined by Haydn, from the US, and Kat, from China, who are polyamorous individuals and nesting partners in China. They share about what being nesting partners means, their rules and boundaries for dating other people, and why they chose to get married in China. They also talk about their individual journeys with being polyamorous, misconceptions people have about polyamory, and Haydn talks about meeting one of Kat’s other partners (his metamour). Interested in sharing your story for a video or the podcast? Get in touch and ask for our media interview form! (Add Rachel on WeChat: rachelweiss22) Date Night China is a digital media brand and international community based in China. We produce a podcast, feature guest writers, and host events that help people connect, expand their cultural perspectives, and share stories related to dating and relationships in China. Join our DNC community! Find Date Night China on WeChat by searching: datenightchina. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

This week Mark and Catherine join the podcast to talk about LGBTQ communities in Beijing. Mark, host of the Piquing Duck Platform and Podcast, talks about googling gay bars in Beijing before he came to China and how his all-inclusive LGBTQI group ‘Beijing Friend Zone’ was founded. Catherine, co-organizer of Beijing Queer Women’s Circle, shares about her own personal journey with sexuality and why she wanted to create a safe space for queer women in Beijing. The group also discusses the difficulties of being admin of groups and how allies can support LGBTQ+ initiatives. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

What’s it like working with your significant other? Nico and Jack, a content creator husband and wife duo from the U.K, join us to talk about their YouTube travel channel (Nico Films) and how building a brand together in China has strengthened their relationship. They also share about getting married in China, how they balance professional and personal time, and behind-the-scenes of filming their videos. Nathan and Rachel also share some of their experiences working together on Date Night China as a couple, and at the end the couples all play a couple’s edition of Who Is Most Likely! About our guests: Jack and Nico are a content creator husband and wife duo from the U.K. They have been living in China for 5 years making videos for their NicoFilms YouTube Channel about life and travel in China. They like to travel off the beaten path and create visually compelling stories about the places they have visited. They have been featured on CGTN, ITV and worked with many brands in and outside of China. 4:05 Getting married in China 8:30 Why they started NicoFilms 12:57 Their shared passion but different creative roles 20:10 Challenges of working together 25:00 Setting boundaries 35:59 Top tip for couples: travel together 39:00 What happens BTS with filming? 49:25 Why it’s just Nico - not Nico and Jack 52:00 Who is more likely --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

This week 10 China daters join the DNC hosts to dive into the murky waters of catfishing, the art of misleading or lying about who you are online to pursue deceptive online relationships. We hear some crazy China catfishing stories, from encountering heavily filtered photos and online bots, to a Tinder tale of horror, a surprising “group catfish” experience, and more. We also discuss the more modern, yet equally baffling, “voice fishing”, a new phenomenon where people alter their accent, dialect or tone in an attempt to sound more sexy or desirable. Show Notes: 1:36 Catfishing Experiences in China 4:33 Filtered and edited photos online -Aleese 6:11 High pitched baby voices - Kelly 8:02 Codeswitching -Lebo 9:03 Fake bots online -Ian 10:25 Why people use animals or celebrities for their photo -Molly 11:40 Impressions of coming to China 17:14 Codeswitching vs Voice fishing 20:34 Nathan scamming other scammers 22:45 Six Catfishing Stories in China 48:51 Bonus: Which Chipmunk would you F*** Marry Kill? Write in to us if you have a catfishing story! And if you enjoyed the episode, please like, share, and leave us a review. We'll be interviewing a variety of people in China with diverse stories, so let us know what else you'd like to hear.  Join our DNC community! Find Date Night China on WeChat by searching: datenightchina. You can also join our WeChat group by adding Rachel on WeChat: rachelweiss22 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

This week we talk to Jocelyn Eikenburg, an American woman and writer who is married to Jun, a Chinese national from Hangzhou. We discuss her experience as a “yangxifu 洋媳妇” (the foreign wife of a Chinese man), stereotypes of being in a WWAM (Western Women Asian Men) relationship, and how she found community with other foreign women who are married to Chinese men.  Show Notes: 2:30 How Jocelyn and her Chinese husband met 7:16 What it’s like being a “yangxifu 洋媳妇” (aforeign daughter-in-law) 9:33 Connecting with other WWAM  (Western Women  Asian Men) 12:07 Meeting her Chinese-in-laws for the first time 19:25 Bonding with her mother-in-law through cooking 21:19 Challenges of intercultural love 28:35: FAQ she gets about dating a Chinese man 30:00 Difference between culture and personality 34:25 Stereotypes about dating Asian Men 40:15 Cultural differences dating Jun About Jocelyn: Jocelyn Eikenburg is a writer and blogger. Her marriage to Jun, a Chinese national from Hangzhou, ultimately inspired her to blog on her site “Speaking of China”. She has been interviewed by the BBC about her blog and cross-cultural marriage and appeared on CCTV.  You can find her writing in The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, the anthologies "How Does One Dress to Buy Dragonfruit?" and "Unsavory Elements", and other publications. Jocelyn has blogged about topics such as being a yangxifu (the foreign wife of a Chinese man) in China, interracial/cross-cultural relationships (including related stereotypes and racism), and books and authors that appeal to her readership. Join our DNC community! Find Date Night China on WeChat by searching: datenightchina. You can also join our WeChat group by adding Rachel on Wechat: rachelweiss22 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

This week we have a round table chat with 3 black expats / entrepreneurs about their media platforms and businesses in Beijing. They share how building a community is integral to their lives here, how COVID has made them more intentional with relationships, and they share about their love lives. Our guests discuss dating and one person reveals how they survived a kidnapping attempt in China - can you guess who it is? Listen to find out! Our guests: Kindall Tyson is a licensed therapist from Texas, owner of Aspire Counseling and Wellness Center, and host of the Black & Abroad web series. Dr. Shannon Evans (Dr. Baby) is from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, has a PhD in Counselor Education Supervision and hosts the Brown Girl in Beijing Podcast. Shagi Defoe is from the Commonwealth of Dominica, has been a Beijing expat for 16 years, and works in F&B and Marketing in Beijing (LARRY THE BIRD, etc.) Show Notes 5:15 Meet Kindall, Shagi, and Shannon 8:47 How do you find like-minded communities in China? 18:33 Has COVID changed your communities in China? 23:34 What it’s like being Black in China 25:50 Understanding the China environment 27:41 Interesting China encounters 30:42 Being more intentional with relationships 37:13 Finding what drives you 41:37 Dating as a Black expat in China --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

Is talking about mental health on a first date a red flag or green flag? This week we’ve asked several China daters to tell us how they would feel if their date mentioned they were seeing a therapist on a first date. And on top up that, we’ve brought in a licensed therapist to respond! Xiaojie is a therapist who founded CandleX, an organization dedicated to bringing knowledge, awareness, and support on mental health to the international community in China. We'll discuss how to bring up mental health you’re dating and also ask Xiaojie what it's like dating as a therapist.  1:58 Meet Xiaojie, licensed therapist and founder of CandleX in Beijing 2:38 How would you feel if someone brought up mental health on a first date? 3:18 Three positive responses to sharing about mental health 9:55 One response on why it’s not good to share on a first date 11:44 Going step by step with a relationship, vulnerability vs oversharing 15:27 What’s the intention behind sharing information? 18:14 Therapy used as a buzzword or status 23:48 Knowing when and how to share about mental health 27:56 What’s it like dating as a therapist? Join our DNC community! Find Date Night China on WeChat by searching: datenightchina. You can also join our WeChat group by adding Rachel on Wechat: rachelweiss22 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

Traditionally in China if you were female and unmarried by the age of 27, the term "leftover women" (shèngnǚ 剩女) was used to describe your social status. But nowadays, many Chinese women have more economic independence without the same pressure as before. In this episode we talk to 3 Chinese women about the pressures single women face and how the term "leftover women" has changed. We also discuss beauty standards, how Chinese women are portrayed in media, and how to fight the stigma of being single.  3:45 Cultural Differences Dating in China 6:00 The term “Little sister” (mèimei 妹妹) 10:25 The slang word Aquaman (hǎiwáng 海王) 12:20 Pressures Chinese Women Face 20:55 Leftover Women (shèngnǚ 剩女) 24:50 Beauty Standards & Báifùměi (白富美 ) 31:30 Economic Status of Women 38:20 Model Backlash with Cài Niángniáng (菜孃孃) 43:02 Stereotypes of Chinese Women 48:25 How Women Fight The Single Stigma Join our DNC community! Find Date Night China on WeChat by searching: datenightchina. You can also join our WeChat group by adding Rachel on Wechat: rachelweiss22 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message

How do expats feel about dating in China in 2022? Since COVID began, the dating landscape in China has changed, with many expats stuck outside China or deciding to leave for good. The expats who stayed through COVID might be approaching dating and relationships differently. In this episode we’ve asked 7 expats in Beijing how they feel dating has changed in China, if people are being more intentional with dating, and what they predict for their dating lives this year. 1:00 Welcome back to Date Night China! 5:45 How has the dating landscape changed in China since COVID? 6:10 Expat Circles in Beijing 16:00 Are people more intentional with dating in China now? 16:20 “Fight or flight or f**k” – Lebo 17:20 Be upfront about who you are - Kelly 22:55 Expat lifestyle being transient China – Aleese 25:02 COVID makes us realize our volatility of life in China - Mark 28:28 Relationship changes during COVID 32:00 What people predict for their dating lives this year in China 32:05 Being okay with silence – Cale 32:45 Focus on the now but have conversations about the future – Kelly 34:20 Building connections here in China - Mike 35:18 Figure out your hobbies and like – Valentine 36:49 “Don’t date in China” – Aleese 37:39 Aiming for stillness -Mark Join our DNC community! Find Date Night China on WeChat by searching: datenightchina. You can also join our WeChat group by adding Rachel on Wechat: rachelweiss22 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/datenightchina/message