Chinese man, 81, marries Internet date

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BEIJING, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Internet dating isn't just for the young -- ask an 81-year-old Beijing man who has married a woman he says he met and courted online.

The Beijing News said Wu Jieqin, a retired art professor, married Jiang Xiaohui, 58, Monday, culminating a relationship that began with an online personal ad.

"The Internet does not just belong to the young," Wu said. "There's no rule saying the elderly can't find love on the Internet."

He said he met Jiang after a series of other virtual dates, adding, "I was smitten when I first saw her photo." The Chinese news agency Xinhua said the couple chatted online before Wu traveled to Sichuan Province to meet Jiang in person, and that he eventually proposed to her on bended knee.

There was one hitch -- Jiang had to overcome strong opposition to the union from her parents, aged 85 and 86, Xinhua said.