Blind date Photo:IC

 
The blind date held on Saturday in the city of Pizhou, East China’s Jiangsu Province, where 100 men were competing for a chance with only five women has stirred controversy nationwide. 

The Pizhou Civil Affairs Bureau said the incident was a result of an imbalance in the proportion of marriageable men and women in the city.

A video showing a long line of men waiting to join a blind date with only a handful of female candidates went viral on China’s social media platforms recently. According to a local matchmaker, surnamed Jiang, there are more men than women in many cities. 

The matchmaker said there is a proportion of 100 men to 20 women among the people who are looking for partners through his agency. Jiang said women now have an upper hand in the marriage market.

“Women’s standards are getting higher and higher,” said Jiang. Basic requirements for a man include a car and a house, and whether his job is stable or not. But that’s not the only thing men grapple with. According to Jiang, the “bride price” or dowry，the money the groom or his family gives to the parents of the bride before marriage, is above 160,000 yuan ($25,257) with some reaching 300,000 or 400,000 yuan. Gold necklaces, rings and bracelets are also required. It is easier to find a partner if the boy is good-looking and comes from a rich family, Jiang added.

Apart from the imbalance in the number of available mates, modernity has changed the way young people view marriage. This is especially true for educated women who dedicate their live to their careers and usually delay marriage.

According to data from the seventh national census, there are 34.9 million more men than women in China.