‘Beautiful granny’ China widow, 67, finds ‘true love’ by picking athletic ‘motorcycle’ man, 74, from more than 200 suitors on TV matchmaking show

A 67-year-old widow in China has proved it is never too late to find love by embarking on a relationship with an athletic 74-year-old man she met on a television matchmaking programme.

Luo Lijuan, from southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, advertised herself on Chongqing Television’s matchmaking programme in August and, in November, brought her new boyfriend onto the show to thank them for connecting her with “an excellent man”.

Luo, a widow with a married daughter, said her hobby was posting self portraits on Douyin under her account, “Beautiful Granny”.

Luo said her unique fashion style and outgoing personality make her appear far younger than her age, adding that she said she attracted more than 200 suitors from the advertisement, some of them in their 50s.

The couple, who have a combined age of 141, plan to register for marriage next year. Photo: Douyin

She said she had to turn them down because she was looking for a serious life partner and did not want to be a burden on the younger men when her health deteriorated as she aged.

Her boyfriend, surnamed Qi, was the tenth man who contacted her. He enjoys working out and riding his motorcycle.

Luo said Qi lifts two dumbbells every evening. On the show, she proudly squeezed his arm muscles and said: “He is skinny, but he has muscles.”

She said she was also touched by Qi’s honesty. When they met, he candidly told her about his financial and health situation and even showed her his doctor’s checkup report from last year, which showed him as healthy for his age.

“A healthy man is exactly what I was looking for. It doesn’t matter if he is old or not wealthy,” said Luo.

The couple said they planned to register for marriage before the Spring Festival in February next year.

Luo’s optimistic attitude towards life moved many people online, with some young people joking that they were “already looking forward to my twilight love”.

“The granny acts like a teenage girl with her boyfriend. Is this the magic of love?” said one online observer.

Another person said the story made her realise that “retirement is the best time to find true love because the couple do not need to consider money or the pressure of raising kids”.

Luo said she was attracted to Qi because of his “honesty” and his “muscles”. Photo: Douyin

It is common practice in China to find love through matchmaking, either via family and friends or on television shows.

Matchmaking shows like If You Are The One and Take Me Out have been major hits in China over the past decade.