Well, my mom has not had to wait out in a park with my CV yet to try to find me a mate. That being said, I'm 28 years old and not married...so if she were Chinese, she might start considering it.  Yes, a very chilling thought...

Every Sunday in parks all over China, concerned parents (and some grandparents) meet with the CVs and personal profiles of their single children and try to find a suitable match for them.

As the child gets closer to 30, the parents get more and more worried that their child will be unable to find a suitable match and hence they as parents might face financial insecurity in old age. And it seems that love is not the primary goal here, but stability--particularly financial stability for parents and child.

I was walking in People's Park (Shanghai) two Sundays ago and saw this going on first hand. The thing I found most interesting is that 95 percent of the CVs did not include a photo. Not to be superficial or anything, but knowing someone's basic statistics without a picture is a bit rough (Ya, I am not going to take the word of his mother who is out here every Sunday that he is in fact very handsome, charming and a REAL catch).

Most of the profiles included height, job, salary and age and what the person was looking for as far as height, weight, age, personal characteristics and job...but ya not many had photos.

And seeing elderly people taking notes next to the CVs or exchanging contacts...well, it made me shiver imaging my parents doing this for me...not to mention what they would end up setting me up with...

That being said, I don't know what's crazier: your mom trying to find you someone in a park on a Sunday afternoon...or you trying to find yourself someone nice in a Shanghai or Beijing nightclub at 4am. Both seem a bit ...unrealistic...

Anyway, here are some photos from a matchmaking Sunday in People's Park (just outside Barbarossa):

Looking for Mr. Right Son



Hmmmmm, does he have all his teeth...ah, not important. AWESOME SALARY!!!

Height, age, salary, job, characteristics...

Ohhhh this one has a photo...NICE!!!



So many to pick from....



Matchmakers have a serious discussion and compare CVs beneath the secret umbrella...



"Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match...catch me a catch...'" 



"But your daughter is a bit fat..."  "Ya, well she's a good cook. Plus your son is missing teeth...but he does have a nice car and owns a large house....Hmmmm.'"

Photos by Rebekah Pothaar