The SARS outbreak has prompted some Chinese couples to scrap their
traditional wedding gatherings, opting instead to tie the knot in
cyberspace.
Spring, which is normally the golden season for weddings, was
marred this year by SARS, with 90 percent of long-planned wedding
parties in Beijing being postponed until later in the year.
Some cancelled their wedding parties and simply got married.
And for some, the Internet is turning out to be a wonderful place
to hold wedding ceremonies during this unusual period.
Miss Xu and Mr Chen, both aged 25 and working at a middle school in
Xicheng District of the capital, originally planned their wedding
for May 1, but the plan was hindered by the SARS outbreak.
They instead turned to the Internet, holding their wedding on the
net.
A
small-scale gathering was organized and it was broadcast
online.
Relatives and friends sent their greetings via e-mail and watched
their wedding online.
"We experienced a special occasion at the special time and it was
created by modern technology," said the couple.
Besides weddings, many other activities have also been hindered by
the SARS outbreak.
Recruitment fairs have been suspended in most Chinese provinces and
regions due to the SARS epidemic, and some graduates have been
unable to undergo interviews, medical examinations or sign
contracts with their employers.
The Ministry of Education recently called on local administrations
to make full use of the Internet and other media sources to release
job information and to organize online recruitment.
The ministry said universities should collect job information
through different channels and carry out recruitment activities in
line with SARS prevention requirements. Employment agencies should
also offer online consulting services to students.
Statistics show China has a total of 2.12 million university
graduates this year, 670,000 more than 2002.
According to the ministry, an official website offering guidance to
graduates will be launched in the next few days.
In
Beijing, which was severely hit by SARS, the communications sector
saw a sharp surge in business in April as residents turned to
telephones and the Internet to keep in touch during the SARS
outbreak.
Local telephone business volume in Beijing rose 60 percent over
March, while long-distance telephone operations increased by 50
percent, said the Beijing Communications Corporation.
The corporation said Internet services also reported a 40 percent
jump in April, while the demand for television and telephone
meetings has increased rapidly since SARS hit Beijing.
Increasing numbers of companies had restricted staff business trips
and turned to telephones and the Internet to carry out their
business, which greatly stimulated the sharp rise in the
communications business.
Long-distance telephone calls in Beijing used to peak from 8 pm to
10 pm, but the period has moved to 9 am to 11 am amid the SARS
outbreak.
Meanwhile, more residents in Beijing have asked Internet service
providers to open broadband network services as they stay indoors
more.
(China Daily May 20, 2003)