A dating party is held on Saturday on a water-bus in the Grand Canal in Hangzhou, capital city of eastern China's Zhejiang Province. The charming and romantic night scene created a favorable environment for the young people who attended. [Photo: Qianjiang Evening News]

Nearly 100 singles looking for prospective spouses attended the first ever dating party on a water-bus on the Grand Canal in Hangzhou on Saturday, the Qianjiang Evening News reported.

It was the first time that the 1,000-year-old canal in the capital city of eastern China's Zhejiang Province hosted a romantic get-together for the city's singles.

The city will continue to hold dating parties to create a favorable environment for local young people to find mates, the report said.

The Grand Canal, the longest artificial river in the world, runs from Hangzhou to Beijing.

Young people talk cheerfully at a dating party on Saturday on the Grand Canal in Hangzhou, capital city of eastern China's Zhejiang Province. [Photo: Qianjiang Evening News]

(CRI April 14, 2008)