When Hannah Yuan first moved to Richmond from Shanghai last year, she felt a big change in lifestyle – the friends, parties and game nights she used to have were all behind her.
“Then I thought, there must be others who are experiencing the same thing, people who are new to Canada and want to make new friends, but it’s not easy. Why don’t I start a group to connect us together?” she told the Richmond News.
“You might want to try a restaurant but don’t want to go alone, or cannot order much on your own, so let’s connect and go together.
“Also, eating, drinking and having fun with friends is a big part of Chinese culture,” she said with a laugh.
So Yuan and a friend started a club called “Huan Ju,” which means “calling for events” in Chinese. It now has more than 700 members – and many are from Richmond.
She explained every now and then, the club will organize social events with different themes, such as trying out a restaurant in Richmond, a game night, matchmaking, Tarot fortune telling, karaoke, clubbing or a vintage prom.
“We include games in our matchmaking events like the ones in some matchmaking reality TV shows, to create a more relaxing atmosphere for them. For example, we write down some features of female guests and ask male guests to guess who they are,” said Yuan.
“Or, at another event, we invited a psychotherapist to talk about topics such as the law of attraction and self-improvement, and also have participants share their own experiences.”
Participants pay a fee that covers the venue and the food, and the number of participants vary from 30 to hundreds depending on the event and venue size.
The many venues and shops in Richmond give the club plenty of options to choose from, said Yuan.
Many people have found their other half, friends and even job opportunities in the club, and most importantly, it helps new immigrants or international students find a sense of belong, Yuan explained.
“When you move to a different country, it’s easy to feel isolated and lonely. There is a social need for everyone,” said Yuan.
“I’m bringing some of the lifestyle we had in China here to Richmond. I like making friends, so when I see them making friends and having a good time, it really makes me happy.”
