Tears flow freely at Beijing´s Cry Bar

Source: China.org.cn | 05-07-2009 15:09

Is crying good therapy? Experts say yes. Having a good weep at the weekend is becoming more and more popular among office workers in China.

Guo Meng's story

"I need to cry to let my feelings out", said 23-year-old Guo Meng, a smart-looking young woman who works in marketing for a department store at Beijing's Zhongguancun.

"I negotiate advertising deals and am constantly on the phone to clients," said Guo Meng. "We make regular visits to customers to build up good relations, and the department store checks the results to evaluate my performance." But getting customers' trust is not always easy. "I get depressed if I put in a lot of effort and get no results."

"I remember one day when I got home I felt so down but had no-one to talk to about it so I just curled up with my teddy bear and cried myself to sleep," Guo said. The next day, she said, she felt much better and life seemed not so bad after all.

Because crying is taken as a sign of weakness, people make a great show of being strong and not displaying emotion. But Guo Meng advises people not to hold back their tears. "Crying really relieves the pressure. You feel relaxed after a good cry."