In China, parents are taking the lead in finding partners for their unmarried adult children amidst a marriage crisis and declining birth rates. They gather at a park in a southwestern city for “xiangqin jiao,” a real-life dating event resembling traditional dating apps.
At these gatherings, retirees present paper profiles showcasing their single children’s appealing qualities like age, gender, height, and occupation. Some profiles even include details like weight and income, with specific preferences outlined for potential matches.
These gatherings stem from China’s historical one-child policy, implemented in 1979 to control population growth. Despite being lifted in 2015, the policy’s effects persist, with men now outnumbering women, making finding suitable partners challenging.
To address declining birth rates, the government now offers child care subsidies to encourage more births. This initiative aims to counterbalance the small number of marriages registered annually compared to the country’s vast population.
Individuals like Zhang Jing, a 34-year-old sales professional, attend these events personally to seek partners due to challenges in finding compatible matches. On the other hand, candidates like Huang Weiming, 36, share their profiles with specific requirements like income, height, and shared values in hopes of finding a suitable match.
While success stories from these events are rare, participants continue to flock to these parks, viewing them as social spaces for retirees to interact and discuss their concerns. These gatherings, which originated in Beijing in the early 2000s and spread to other cities, serve as a unique approach to matchmaking in contemporary Chinese society.
