Net users are questioning whether people are after love or money in marriage, after survey respondents admitted that they prefer big city spouses from developed eastern China if they cannot find a partner in their hometown.

The comments come after a widely circulated online survey by a Beijing-based consultancy found that a majority of the 1,000-plus respondents - 54.5 percent of men and 57.7 percent of women - prefer to go after a partners from their hometown before chasing a spouse from richer cities like Beijing and Shanghai. A partner from poorer regions like Gansu and Qinghai provinces was found to be the most unwanted.

While some Beijing and Shanghai locals were flattered by the results, other Net users said that the people from outside provinces only prefer the city-slickers "because of their urban hukou (household registration) and the fact that they live in China's richest places."

The survey also revealed Sichuan women, known for their beauty in China, as the most popular among men (13.6 percent), while women from South China tended toward men from North China and vise versa for northern Chinese men.

"The results definitely reflect the common notion that men want a beautiful woman while women want a rich husband," said Net user Huangjinchangleweiyanggong.

But Net user Kunxuehan said that creating a "happy and harmonious family" is the ultimate pursuit of a couple "no matter where a partner comes from or regardless of how much their spouse earns."

Net user Qinqinbiannaoke said that Sichuan women are hardworking and virtuous, which is why they are so appreciated by all Chinese men.

Global Times