Speed dating post event etiquette
15-Jul-2020 19:53
Finding a mate is a serious business for China’s single men and women, all the more so when Chinese New Year is looming.
Some use speed dating, others apps to which they may pay thousands; their parents resort to an old-fashioned way of seeking a match Millions of Chinese are heading home this week for the Lunar New Year holiday, a time that should be among the happiest for people across the country; however, for those who remain single, parental expectations can make it a stressful one.
It is not uncommon to run into frauds posting fake information.
“Some girls, after chatting for a while, will start asking you for money,” says Zhang, a 24-year-old, one of the participants at the Little Dates event, who also declined to give his full name.
“When my grandmother passed away last year, I failed to fulfil her dying wish of bringing a girlfriend home,” says Li.
The largest Chinese dating site, Zhenai.com, with more than 140 million registered users, provides VIP services: professional matchmakers pair up users with potential spouses according to the criteria they set, and counsel them throughout the process; users are guaranteed to walk down the aisle within a given period of time.
“This course will lead you into the unknown realm of love and help you gain new flirting skills and approach,” the course description reads.
A 108-yuan course purporting to teach sexual skills, titled “Explore females’ secret garden”, bears the tagline: “Instead of winning her heart, why not conquer her body.” Despite its growing popularity, online dating is not without peril.
Some are co-organised by companies to help employees hook up.
Others are organised to get together hundreds of single people from the same province.
Since the quality of candidates affects the reputation of the companies behind such apps, some are designed to rigorously filter out scammers.
