BEIJING: A fitness fanatic in China has been nicknamed the country’s “best boyfriend” after a classic Chinese dress, or qipao, he crocheted for his girlfriend while working out, went viral.
Zheng Tianyuan, 32, from Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong province went viral after he crocheted a baby blue qipao, also known as a cheongsam, for his girlfriend.
Zheng is a typical “slash youth” who juggles different roles. Coming from an educational background in classical music, Zheng works as a full-time radio disc jockey.
He is also a fitness fanatic, having achieved sixth place in his group in the Bodybuilding National Championship held by the China Body Building Association this year.
Now, Zheng has a third title, China’s “best boyfriend”.
In August, he published a post of a baby blue qipao he crocheted for his girlfriend as a birthday gift.
It was the first time Zheng had crocheted and he did so by following a qipao crochet diagram he bought online.
He used all his spare time and sometimes crocheted while indoor cycling in the gym as he tried hard to hide the surprise from his girlfriend.
It took him two and a half months to finish his “debut work”.
Zheng said the most difficult part of the work was maintaining a good attitude, which was especially difficult when he was fighting with her.
Crocheting then became his hobby. Zheng also crocheted small dolls. He recently finished another dress for his girlfriend.
It later occurred to him that his love for crocheting comes from his late mother, who also enjoyed the hobby.
Zheng said she once showed him and his father coasters she had crocheted, but they said they looked tacky, so she gave up the hobby.
Zheng regretted having discouraged his mother and kept wondering what she would say if she knew what her son had made.
He also retrieved the coasters his mother had made from his childhood home, several of which are the same baby blue colour as the qipao.
He said he wants to continue working on the coasters and create a work together with his mother.
Some men left unfriendly comments under his posts, questioning why Zheng did “women’s work”.
Zheng said no work should be defined by gender.
“Women are doing traditionally male-dominated work now. It is fine the other way round. You will not become less manly by doing what women traditionally do.”
His attitude won him praise online, especially from women.
“He crocheted such a beautiful dress with a muscular body like that,” one woman said.
“I cannot imagine how happy it is to date a man like this,” said another. - South China Morning Post
