China’s Marriage Market: Where Parents Help Their Unmarried Kids Find Love
Source: Instagram | rimmazakirova
Tired of swiping left? In China, parents are taking a more hands-on approach to match-making, setting their kids up in person!
China’s marriage market is a unique scene where hundreds of parents gather in big cities and parks to showcase info about their single children on posters displayed on umbrellas and signs, all in the hopes of finding them a spouse.
The details usually include age, education, and career among other things.
One of the more popular marriage markets happens at Shanghai’s People’s Park on weekends
Content creator @rimmazakirova, who often shares interesting snippets about life in China, recently visited the park and shared her experience.
In her video, you can see parents and grandparents sitting on stools and benches with posters displaying information about their children, including zodiac signs, income, educational background, and birthplace.
A man at Chengdu’s marriage market once told the BBC that China’s huge population and rapid economic growth make it hard for most people to have a wide social circle.
He said these markets are a great place for parents to relax and set up their children on dates.
Meanwhile, a concerned mother said she was at the marriage market because her daughter, a busy flight attendant, isn’t focused on settling down. Hoping to get her daughter married quickly, she brought a poster with her child’s details.
Unmarried adults, especially women in their late 20s and beyond, face societal pressures in China
Terms like “leftover women” are often used to describe unmarried women, causing anxiety for both parents and children.
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s also getting harder for young adults to meet potential partners naturally.
The marriage market comes up as a solution to tackle these issues and help create potential relationships.
While some find the idea of their parents setting them up in public a bit uncomfortable, others jokingly hope their parents don’t discover the scene.
Considering the frustrations with online dating, many people think the marriage market isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Video : Instagram | rimmazakirova
