26.10.2025 18:20
The "matchmaking market" held every weekend in Chongqing, China, offers a traditional alternative to digital dating apps. Singles and parents looking for partners for their children promote themselves with posters hung on park walls instead of using smartphones. These advertisements, which include information about age, profession, salary, height, and even family income, keep alive a unique matchmaking tradition that is rapidly gaining popularity in the country.
Every weekend, an unusual gathering takes place in the city of Chongqing in southwestern China.
HUNDREDS OF SINGLES ARE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS IN THE PARK
One of the largest parks in the city becomes the scene of hundreds of singles searching for partners on weekend mornings. This "matchmaker market," which emerged as an alternative to online dating apps, challenges the digital dating culture.
THEY POST THEIR SELF-PREPARED ADS ON THE WALLS AND TREES OF THE PARK
Participants use their self-prepared ads instead of smartphones. Information written on colorful papers is posted on the walls, trees, and boards in the park. These "profiles" include not only names or ages but also details such as profession, height, income status, and even the retirement pension of parents. Some participants also add their photos and phone numbers to their posters.
PARENTS LOOKING FOR PARTNERS FOR THEIR CHILDREN ALSO COME
A significant portion of those gathering in the park are not actually singles; they are parents looking for suitable candidates for their children. Retired elderly individuals come to the park every week, carrying their children's profiles in hopes of finding a "suitable partner." However, there are also a considerable number of young people who come on their own initiative to post their ads.
"I COME HERE TO ESCAPE MY FAMILY"
Speaking to Wall Street Journal reporters observing the event, 33-year-old Zhou Jinshan expressed that he is overwhelmed by his family's pressure regarding marriage. Zhou said, "According to my mother, I am already too late. I come here to escape their worries." A woman named Sister Gao mentioned that she collects dozens of ads every week and brings them to the park, acting as an intermediary to find suitable candidates for those who want them.
STARTED IN BEIJING, SPREAD TO THE WHOLE COUNTRY
The first "matchmaker market" in China was established in 2004 in the capital, Beijing. Over time, this event spread to other major cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and more. Despite the pace of urbanization and digitalization, this traditional method of meeting people is still actively maintained, especially by the middle-aged and older demographics.
CRITERIA IN THE ADS ARE BEING DISCUSSED
The requests in the ads adorning the park walls sometimes create astonishment. One woman wrote that she is looking for a partner who is "under 29 years old, shorter than 1.72 meters, around 65 kilograms, and has no bad habits," while a young man stated that he wants to meet a woman who is "a university graduate, without tattoos, and not overweight."