PHOTOS | Live Blind Date Show @ CORNERS Bar
Christmas is around the corner and love is in the air! Well it was on Saturday 18th December at Date Night China’s live blind date show at CORNERS Bar in Sanlitun, Beijing!
This live charity event was the 4th iteration of the classic 90’s dating show, where we saw two contestants blindfolded on stage in front of a live audience and given the opportunity to ask three single people three questions to determine if they are the right match for a first date.
Before we spill the tea on how our contestants did, we want to share about the charity cause: the Afghanistan crisis. A long-time member of the Beijing community and friend to Date Night China, Muhib, returned home to Afghanistan during COVID 19 and was unable to return. Earlier this year, political and social upheaval have seen countless men, woman and children flee from their homes.
Muhib, a student from Beijing’s Capital Medical University, is on the ground, helping where he can. Date Night China was raising funds to help him give aid in the form of food packages, sanitary pads, kids clothing and baby formula. Date Night China wanted to help, so all the ticket proceeds from the event are being given to this cause.
Thanks to the ticket proceeds, plus extra donations, we raised 5,000 RMB to gie! Thank you for your support! We are still accepting donations if you would like to give.
Now onto the show, which featured 2 rounds of Blind Date and several audience participation games where the audience could win prizes from Date Night China and also Catherine de France hair salon.
The night started with Date Night China host Nathan Williams singing Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E” to set the mood for the night. Looking out into the audience you could see a few nervous faces awaiting the call to be summoned to the stage, and the rest of the audience eager to see the show for the first time.
The show, to date, has quite the reputation, with our very first contestants falling for each other after the show and still together over a year on. This show was a double event!
Blind Date Round 1: The Woman.
When asked “Any single lady in the audience who would like to play the game?” a bright-eyed and smiley Lea raised her hand. Feeling optimistic, she donned the blindfold and then three eligible bachelors strode on stage looking to woo Lea into their loving arms: Jackie, Mike, and Bas.
Lea asked these three questions to her bachelors:
1. If there is a date, what's your plan?
2. Tell me a really funny or interesting thing about you.
3. What's the most romantic thing you have ever done?
We heard answers that told stories of home-cooked meals, romantic candles and personal scavenger hunts as well as chilled wine under a bed of stars! Lea was spoiled for choice. There were also some funny quips about visiting a scientology center, and not one but TWO pizza tattoos revealed!
And the winner is...
But alas, only one lucky man can go home with the girl of his dreams and in this instance, it was Bas – a drummer from South Africa who gave Lea a few laughs with his impromptu comedy.
Thanks to our sponsor SideStreet! Lea and Bas will get a night out at Beijing's favorite hutong burger joint with great beer, food, and atmosphere.
Pass the Parcel
After the break, the whole audience got to join in on the fun and play the classic party game “Pass the Parcel." For those of you who don't know, it's a parcel filled with many presents wrapped in different layers of wrapping paper.
The parcel was passed up and down and all around the room and people got the chance to win socks and kinky sex toys – the perfect combination for a cozy night in!
Blind Date Round 2: The Man
The second round of Blind Date saw single man Valentin up on stage, with three woman answering questions this time: Dioni, Ziyu, and Xixi.
He asked these three questions:
When you are new to a city, what community do you seek out first?
If you were in my place, what would you want to know about me?
If we had a weekend away. what would we do?
His nerves abated as he heard the 3 women impress him with ideas of love languages, physical activity (*ahem*) filled weekend trips and cultural connections with foreign adventures!
Eventually, Valentin chose Xi Xi from China, who wooed him with her beliefs on connecting with different communities and appreciating the finer things in life, like culture.
Sponsor: Thanks to our sponsor Caliente Tapas and Wine Bar! Valentin and Xixi will get to enjoy a night out at this cozy wine bar with delicious tapas dishes.
Sexy Santa & Ugly Sweater Competition
The fun did not stop there! Quickly following all that romance was a pin the cane on the sexy santa game and an ugly sweater competition! The night was a real hoot and it was a great way for Date Night China to kick off the festival season by spreading a little love!
We’d like to thank our three incredibly generous sponsors, Caliente Tapas and Wine Bar, Side Street, and Catherine de France for making it special for us and our lucky audience participants. And we also want to give a big shout out to CORNERS Bar for hosting our show!
Big thanks as well to our fantastic event photographer Varya Kotsebuk!
About Varya
Varya Kotsebuk is professional photographer based in Beijing for over a decade. She does event photography, family photography, and private photoshoots. She has been featured in Beijing magazines and had a few exhibitions dedicated to Antarctic expedition as she also a travel photographer and explorer. She is Russian and also speaks perfect English and Chinese.
Varya’s approach is to create an enjoyable and giggle-filled experience, while delivering stunning portraits of the highest quality. She focuses on capturing the real moments without the need to pose or ask others to smile for creating good photographs. She likes to let people act natural, not forcing people to do anything to ensure that she photographs special moments that are really impressive and not artificial.
Add her Wechat contact and Instagram to connect with her for photoshoots: kotsebuk
Hopefully, when we’re ready for the 5th game of Blind Date, we’ll be able to share more stories of successful arranged romance, but for now, know that like the hit 90’s love song, love is all around and it’s always best to spread a little love, especially at Christmas!
Continue on for more photos of the event!
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Date Night China is a digital media platform and events organization based in Beijing that aims to build a positive community and share stories about relationships and dating in China. Follow our Wechat Account for the latest articles, new podcast episodes, and upcoming events.
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