Zhang Lin waits in a noisy restaurant outside the university where she has taught for more than 10 years.

"I'm sorry I've started already; I haven't had a chance to eat all day," she says.

Surrounded by noisy groups of older men and rowdy students she sits alone in a flowing white dress, her wavy air tumbling over her shoulders as she eats. She is 38, but could pass for a student.

Between bites, she explains that she's from the country's south, and although she has lived in Beijing for 11 years her father has never visited her.

"Among their four children, I'm the only one who's not married. He says because I don't have a family he has no reason to come here," she says, her tone momentarily subdued.

"My mother came once, three years ago. But it was a disaster, a complete disaster," she adds.

Zhang was raised in a small city in what she describes as a very traditional family.

"My mother especially, she's always worrying about me being single. My parent's generation are always on stand-by to sacrifice themselves for their children. One day she called me and said she would visit for the summer to help me find a husband."

Zhang's mother had read an article about Beijing's 'marriage markets,' where parents of single children would gather at the city's Zhongshan Park, in the hope of matching their child with the offspring of another desperate parent.


Twice a week groups of about 30 to 60 parents meet in the same spot, each carrying pieces of paper containing information about their child - their job, level of education and salary, as well as their physical attributes.

"When the markets started it was just for parents. But these days, you see more and more single children are dragged along with them. It’s like a fair for parents and their 'leftovers,' mostly women," sighs Zhang, who admits to having helped start the trend.


http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/10/china-leftover-women-151029141452444.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newsbreak%2Faljazeera%2FBreaking+%28AL+JAZEERA+ENGLISH+%28AJE%29%29

Hahaha. Quite funny

Its a good Idea....I hope its open for expatriates too.

A very good idea. You'll be surprised such marriages where the spouses attributes are clearly spelt out and where the parents do the choosing would actually be more satisfying an last longer than the other marriages there.

China is such an interesting place.