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Tuesday, Aug 28, 2012
They're dressed as if they are taking part in a beauty contest.
But these young Chinese women in swish dresses and strappy sandals, sitting in a row clutching forms listing their weight and measurements, are waiting for an interview with an "appearance consultant".
They are among more than 1,000 in line for a chance to make it to the next stage of a bizarre competition - the chance to join an group of 50 vying for marriage to a multi-millionaire.
The testing process screens everything, from looks and education to family background and astrological compatibility.
The 50 lucky qualifiers win the chance to meet 32 men worth at least 100 million yuan (S$20 million).
The matchmaking event, arranged by the China Entrepreneur Club for Singles in Beijing, reflects the growing challenges of finding a spouse in modern China.
"I don't need to be so rich. I'm just saying I want the ability to have a good lifestyle," said Miss Zeng Xie.
The 25-year-old, wearing thick mascara and a delicate dress, slipped out between interviews to check in with her mother.
Miss Zeng's mother, who gave only her surname, Niu, rated her daughter's chances of finding love in the city as low, and bemoaned her unwillingness to return to the family's hometown.
"She's got a lot of great qualities, so she has quite high standards," said Ms Niu. "Kids these days are working and they are so busy, they don't have time to make friends."
Experts say the material demands of some young Chinese have escalated as the country's wealth has grown - with home ownership a common requirement, according to Yale sociologist Deborah Davis.
She says that transient urban lifestyles have combined with frenetic social change, booming wealth and relaxed sexual mores to complicate the process of finding a partner.
The escalating demands of potential spouses have come under the spotlight in recent years, thanks to popular TV dating showsfeaturing outrageous materialism.
One contestant famously rebuffed a potential suitor, saying she would "rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle".
Another requested 200,000 yuan to allow a man to shake her hand.
Many of China's flourishing dating websites and matchmaking businesses target the ultra-wealthy, said psychology consultant and TV personality Wu Di.
The China Entrepreneur Club for Singles requires men to verify their net worth and pay a 200,000 yuan fee. Half are divorced and half of those have children - factors that might give some women pause.
The criteria for women: They should be 20 to 28 years old, 1.65m or taller, beautiful and gentle with at least a junior college education.
Contest founder Cheng Yongsheng stressed that they also screen women for character, putting them through a multiple- round, two-month process of "in-depth tests" and interviews with their families.
They cannot be too poor or they will be gold-diggers, nor can they be too rich and not appreciate the value of hard-earned money.
Several insisted they cared about more than just money.
Miss Zeng said she was perfectly content to live on her 30,000 yuan monthly salary and, as an occasional model, did not lack potential boyfriends. She sought a husband who was responsible and treated her as an equal.
Miss Chen Li, 29, wanted a life partner of good character and sighed that this might not bethe best place to find him.
"Rich, divorced men just want a young, pretty woman who can have babies," she said, adding that she did not think she fitted the bill. "Being successful and being good are not the same thing."
They're dressed as if they are taking part in a beauty contest.
But these young Chinese women in swish dresses and strappy sandals, sitting in a row clutching forms listing their weight and measurements, are waiting for an interview with an "appearance consultant".
They are among more than 1,000 in line for a chance to make it to the next stage of a bizarre competition - the chance to join an group of 50 vying for marriage to a multi-millionaire.
The testing process screens everything, from looks and education to family background and astrological compatibility.
The 50 lucky qualifiers win the chance to meet 32 men worth at least 100 million yuan (S$20 million).
The matchmaking event, arranged by the China Entrepreneur Club for Singles in Beijing, reflects the growing challenges of finding a spouse in modern China.
"I don't need to be so rich. I'm just saying I want the ability to have a good lifestyle," said Miss Zeng Xie.
The 25-year-old, wearing thick mascara and a delicate dress, slipped out between interviews to check in with her mother.
Miss Zeng's mother, who gave only her surname, Niu, rated her daughter's chances of finding love in the city as low, and bemoaned her unwillingness to return to the family's hometown.
"She's got a lot of great qualities, so she has quite high standards," said Ms Niu. "Kids these days are working and they are so busy, they don't have time to make friends."
Experts say the material demands of some young Chinese have escalated as the country's wealth has grown - with home ownership a common requirement, according to Yale sociologist Deborah Davis.
She says that transient urban lifestyles have combined with frenetic social change, booming wealth and relaxed sexual mores to complicate the process of finding a partner.
The escalating demands of potential spouses have come under the spotlight in recent years, thanks to popular TV dating showsfeaturing outrageous materialism.
One contestant famously rebuffed a potential suitor, saying she would "rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle".
Another requested 200,000 yuan to allow a man to shake her hand.
Many of China's flourishing dating websites and matchmaking businesses target the ultra-wealthy, said psychology consultant and TV personality Wu Di.
The China Entrepreneur Club for Singles requires men to verify their net worth and pay a 200,000 yuan fee. Half are divorced and half of those have children - factors that might give some women pause.
The criteria for women: They should be 20 to 28 years old, 1.65m or taller, beautiful and gentle with at least a junior college education.
Contest founder Cheng Yongsheng stressed that they also screen women for character, putting them through a multiple- round, two-month process of "in-depth tests" and interviews with their families.
They cannot be too poor or they will be gold-diggers, nor can they be too rich and not appreciate the value of hard-earned money.
Several insisted they cared about more than just money.
Miss Zeng said she was perfectly content to live on her 30,000 yuan monthly salary and, as an occasional model, did not lack potential boyfriends. She sought a husband who was responsible and treated her as an equal.
Miss Chen Li, 29, wanted a life partner of good character and sighed that this might not bethe best place to find him.
"Rich, divorced men just want a young, pretty woman who can have babies," she said, adding that she did not think she fitted the bill. "Being successful and being good are not the same thing."
