Parents Play Matchmaker in Beijing Single Market
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Mary Bruce/ABC News(BEIJING) — Most Americans are horrified at the thought of their parents setting them up, but in Beijing there’s a whole market for it, literally.
Parents gathered by the hundreds this weekend at the Temple of Heaven Park to advertise their single children with the hope of marrying them off.
Forget online dating profiles, these eager parents come armed with paper profiles listing their children’s key attributes, likes, dislikes and what they hope to find in a future mate.
Most of the profiles get the basics out of the way upfront, listing the candidates’ height, weight, age, residence and job, before getting into any additional criteria. A few of the profiles have photos attached, but most are just a simple single sheet of paper.
This is no-nonsense. In a culture where single men and women in their late-20s are considered over the hill, the parents’ desperate desire to match up their children is palpable.
The resumes are lined up and the game begins. Parents shop around looking for a suitable match for their child, while also trying to entice other parents and promote their own child’s desirability.
It’s unknown how successful this tactic really is, but the parents certainly seem to enjoy the process.
The kicker: most of the children have no idea their parents are doing this!
Not to miss out on the fun, middle-aged Chinese employ a similar method to find love. Just around the corner in the park, older men and women are handing out their own fliers and posters looking for their own match.
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