Young people seek partners, but not necessarily for romance

Demand rises for companions who share similar interests

At lunchtime recently, Sha Jinyuan, 22, sent a WeChat message to her meal partner, or fandazi, asking: "What to eat?" After her partner replied with "don't know", Sha said, "Let's just go!"

This conversation resulted in the pair leaving their offices to meet and find a place to eat together.

Sha and her partner Wu Hao, 21, are an example of a form of socializing that is popular with young Chinese who are not necessarily friends. Rather, they are dazi, or activity partners for specific pursuits, such as playing games, taking classes, traveling, or hiking and camping.

Sha, a senior student at a university in Jilin, Jilin province, is doing an internship at a media organization in Dalian, Liaoning province. She met Wu, who was an intern at the time, purely by chance.

"We talked a lot, and our offices were close together, so we quickly became fandazi ("fan" translates as "meal" in Chinese). We eat lunch together almost every working day," Sha said.

The term "dazi" has become especially popular online, with many social media users posting their requirements as they seek partners who share similar interests to themselves.

The Shanghai Dialect Dictionary published in 2007 defines dazi as "those who play cards together, or are partners in extension".

However, dazi now refers to a new kind of social connection with the aim of pursuing shared interests, rather than developing lasting friendships.

A search for "dazi" on social media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu turns up numerous users seeking partners ranging from food lovers to fitness fanatics.

Sha and Wu, who share the bill for milk tea, also take photos together at scenic spots in Dalian, which is building a world-class tourist destination.

However, if a particular idea is proposed and one of them is not interested in it, they just go their own way.

"As dazi, we have a strong sense of one another's personal space. We don't expect the other person to act like an old friend, and neither will we reluctantly go along with each other's preferences," Sha said.