Lonely hearts meet in IKEA cafe - 14th February 2023

Online dating may be the way to find romance for the young, but in Shanghai, China, it's the IKEA cafeteria where the more mature seek a love match.

Descending on the Swedish furniture store every Tuesday, hundreds of elderly people hit the café, where they ignore the IKEA meatballs and lay out their own packed lunches. As they gossip, share nibbles and sip tea, they hope to tempt a fellow lonely heart.

The prospect of finding love draws retired coach driver, Gu Yijun, who undertakes the 90 minute journey on public transport each week, before heading hopefully to the store's beating heart.

Gu Yijun: "So, I came to the thought that it could be better to find a partner here, but if not, it's also a way to relax and have fun. It is much better than facing the mirror alone at home, as I can only see myself in the reflection."

The population of China includes more than 29.7 million people over 60, and one in four of those are partnerless. Although households once comprised multiple generations, changing social structures and an ageing population result in many ending up alone.

After spending years nursing older people, 70 year old Qingqing acknowledges the time's now come to pursue true love for herself.

Qingqing: "When I reached this age, I realized I had a yearning for love as well, so you see, people change. It's not embarrassing to speak out. Not only do young people need love, but elderly people also need love."

No one's quite sure how or why this dating centre was first established in the Swedish store, yet in spite of the firm's best efforts to prohibit the gatherings, the passionate pensioners have been turning up every Tuesday for the last decade.

Xu Yizhen considers it the ideal venue.

Xu Yizhen: "This is a kind of way of life. To be honest, it's in accordance with my personal standard of living. This place is not very extravagant. There are some practical difficulties for us to go to more elegant places if we want to go. This popular place suits us better."