Parents Find Lovers for Their Kids at China Matchmaking Expo

To find potential suitors, parents hand out kids' contact info, photos.

ByABC News
June 5, 2014, 4:37 PM
Chinese parents view photos and personal information of male participants for their unmarried daughters at a massive matchmaking event in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2014.
Chinese parents view photos and personal information of male participants for their unmarried daughters at a massive matchmaking event in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2014.
Shanghai Daily/AP Photos

June 5, 2014— -- In Shanghai, where singles are aplenty and birth rates are low, parents have taken to matchmaking expos to find their kids a lover.

Their children’s photos and vital stats are plastered on cards pinned to a wall, a sea of faces for eager parents to scan. New this year, the expo added a room dedicated to parents worried about their kids' single status, according to a government website about the event.

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They can even go on mini-dates with other parents to see how their kids will vibe. Some parents hand out cards bearing their children’s contact information.

A pair of unmarried participants talk with each other at a massive matchmaking event in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2014.

In the main part of the expo, singles themselves are encouraged to mingle, shyly talking at group tables or one-on-one, speed dating-style.

Matchmaking expos are common in China, where women in their mid 20s are sometimes described as “leftovers” when it comes to marriage.

Chinese parents are so eager to find a partner for their kids that the search often starts young -- sometimes, when they're still using a pacifier, like at one baby matchmaking event.

Almost 30,000 people attended last month’s expo, according to Shanghai Daily.