AN exhibition of keepsakes from sad love affairs attracted more than 1,000visitors on its opening day yesterday.
Taking the theme “bittersweet,” the show at the Global Harbor Shopping Mallopened on Singles Day, November 11, and features 111 love tokens. The number 1signifies single.
Exhibits include everything from love letters and a wedding dress throughto a stamp album, a wine bottle cork and a pair of shoes.
All are reminders of relationships that, for whatever reason, ended, saidorganizers.
Around 60 exhibits are from China, while the rest are from France and Spainand other countries.
They were collected following public appeals by the organizers.
“Each token tells a touching story, and people want to be touched bystories,” said organizer Cao Xun.
Reactions varied, with some visitors finding the romantic keepsakespoignant, while others were amused by the show.
“I came here out of curiosity as the stories told by the owners of theseitems on display are very funny,” He Xiaoxiao,20, told Shanghai Daily.
“I can learn a lot from their experiences,” she added.
“My boyfriend was supposed to come with me today, but we broke up yesterdayso I ended up here alone,” Ivy Gao sobbed.
“Some of these stories behind the exhibits are touching and made me realizewhy I lost him,” she added.
Other visitors had more commercial motives for attending the show.
Xu Dao, 27, who runs a class which aims to teach men how to get agirlfriend, says he was on the lookout for potential clients.
The exhibition will run through December 11. Admission is 60 yuan (US$9.8)per person and 111 yuan for up to three people.