In China, parents are taking the lead in finding spouses for their unmarried adult children as the country grapples with a marriage crisis and declining birth rates. Every Friday and Saturday, eager grandparents-to-be gather at a hilltop park in a southwestern city for “xiangqin jiao,” a real-life dating event similar to online apps.
The scene at the marriage market involves retirees showcasing paper resumes with key details about their single offspring, such as gender, age, height, and occupation. Some profiles even include weight and income information, sparking intrigue among potential matches.
In one instance at Chongqing’s People’s Park, a woman seeking a husband specified strict criteria, including height, weight, and age preferences along with her own salary and assets. This unconventional matchmaking trend stems from China’s past one-child policy, which has left a surplus of men due to better resources allocated to female children.
As the government now encourages more births by offering child care subsidies, individuals like Zhang Jing, a 34-year-old sales professional, struggle to find suitable partners who meet their financial and housing expectations. Conversely, candidates like Huang Weiming, a 36-year-old marketer, actively participate in these markets, sharing their attributes and hopes for a compatible match.
Despite limited success stories, these marriage markets continue to attract participants across China, providing a social space for retirees to gather, socialize, and ponder the complexities of modern matchmaking.