Chinese Matchmaking

With 1.3 billion people in China, it really shouldn't be hard to find a date, right? Well apparently not. The matchmaking industry here is already bigger than the States', and there are over 20,000 dating companies registered in China, not including "family-run" dating services...

The social dynamics in Chinese households are a little different than in the Western world (i.e. Chinese people tend to be way more socially awkward), so not surprisingly, online matchmaking is hugely popular. One of the girls I play disc with has one of the top 10 most viewed dating profiles in town, and seems pretty damn proud of it.

Anyways, the larger point is: Chinese people are turning to the internet to find their soulmates, and a) they're not shy about it, and b) that doesn't necessarily make them desperate. Just check this post out. (Double eyelids, apparently, are no less popular online than they are in plastic surgery rooms.)

Update: The Shanghai Daily has a story out today detailing some of the shenanigans that these matchmaking companies get up to. Honesty is not their best policy, apparently.