China's original dating agency

China's original dating agency

On a sunny Saturday afternoon I was out walking up by People's square. I had only been here at night before at Barbarossa for cocktails so I decided to go and see the infamous lily pad pond during the daylight hours.

The entrance to the park was heaving with people and I nearly turned away until I remembered that at weekends the park is host to The Marriage Market.
So I weaved my way through the crowds to explore this unique tradition.

Forget your dating websites this is how the locals find a mate, but it is not young professionals in the park this afternoon but their parents! The parents will hang an advertisement for their grown children with a biography and in some cases photograph. One mother explained to me that she was here to find her daughter a husband (she did point out her daughter was 30 and therefor old!!) This caring mother explained that the advertisements have family name, occupation, height, weight and horoscope sign (which is very important apparently) She also told me that it is nowadays common place to list assets, for example if a young man owns an apartment and what kind of car.

                                         


Having spoken to some local friends I discovered that quite often the parents do not have consent of their child to advertise them, if they are even aware that it is going on!

                             
 
                               

     

As I sat on a sunny bench watching the throngs of people milling around I giggled to myself.The air was thick with conversation, a social event for the middle aged locals. You could almost imagine the parents with shopping baskets perusing the wears at a fruit and veg market. The parents are not only there to advertise they are collecting data to try and create a harmonious match. Some with notepads and the more technologically advanced taking pictures on their i-phones the parents collect the contact details and particulars from the adverts.

                                      

It did appear to be an age old way or arranging marriages between good families but I later found it this has only been common place in Peoples square since 2004. The combination of old values and new practices was highlighted by the looming skyscrapers visible over the trees of the park casting long industrial shadows on the natural beauty surrounding me With the rate of unmarried men in China raising every year it is a sign of the times and slight desperation of the families in China.