Looking for marriage, and maybe love
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Parents exchange information about their unmarried children during a matchmaking event in Beijing International Sculpture Park earlier this month. [Photo/China Daily] |
"This is not romantic at all." Yu Junjie, 24, was amused to see so much personal information posted at Beijing International Sculpture Park's matchmaking event. Many of the fliers listed specific salary and housing requirements.
Despite the cold weather and the unromantic posts, parks in Beijing and across the country became hot matchmaking spots as aspiring married people flocked in to find their life mates as Valentine's Day drew near.
What began as small groups of parents meeting to exchange information about their unmarried children has been drawing more young people in recent years. Roughly 50,000 people registered their personal information on large boards erected on the square at Beijing International Sculpture Park Feb 2-9.
Li Mingshun, deputy head of the marriage and family board of the China Law Society, said the lack of time to meet people has contributed heavily to the popularity of massive matchmaking events. Most young people are busy at work or studying for advanced degrees, so the Spring Festival holidays provide a chance for them to meet many people in a short time.
Such an event might be a time-saver, but Yu Junjie found it a romance-killer. She pointed out one notice that required the potential match, if a Beijing local, to have a monthly salary of more than 5,000 yuan (about $760). For guys without a Beijing hukou (household registration), the salary minimum was 10,000 yuan.
