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A Hong Kong woman’s frustrating experience at a Guangzhou matchmaking corner has sparked a lively online debate about dating standards and cultural expectations. The woman, known as “Daily Life of the Slightly Plump Xiangxiang,” shared her story on Douyin, where it quickly gained attention.
Xiangxiang, a fashion blogger with over 164,000 followers, traveled from Hong Kong to Guangzhou’s Tianhe Park on December 5, hoping to explore the matchmaking scene and possibly find a partner. She expressed her preference for mainland men, whom she described as “kind and gentle,” compared to Hong Kong men, whom she felt often had “bad tempers.”
Matchmaking corners, a longstanding cultural phenomenon in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, are events where parents promote their unmarried adult children by displaying posters detailing their personal information, including age, height, income, and education. These events attract parents eager to connect with potential in-laws, often emphasizing high educational backgrounds and financial stability.
In Xiangxiang’s video, she observed that most participants at the Guangzhou matchmaking corner were ageing parents promoting their children with impressive qualifications. Many prospects boasted postgraduate degrees, annual incomes exceeding 500,000 yuan (US$68,000), and ownership of property and cars in central Guangzhou.
Despite these promising prospects, Xiangxiang encountered repeated rejection. Her first approach was to the mother of a man from Harbin, northern China, who earns over 30,000 yuan (US$4,000) per month. The mother explained that her son, born in 1984 and standing 174cm tall, sought a partner born between 1988 and 1993 and with a minimum height of 160cm. Upon learning that Xiangxiang, born in the 1990s, was only 154cm tall, the mother dismissed her with the remark, “You’re old.”
A second encounter with another man, a 170cm-tall master’s degree holder, ended similarly. This man’s family also required a minimum height of 160cm for a potential partner. Xiangxiang expressed disappointment at the overwhelming emphasis on height.
Reflecting on her experience, Xiangxiang described her attempts as a “complete failure.” She joked about societal pressures, saying: “People ask why I’m still single at my age. Honestly, if I had prioritized relationships, I wouldn’t have my current income!”
Her post received significant attention on Douyin, with over 4,500 likes and 1,500 comments. Many netizens criticized the unrealistic standards displayed at matchmaking corners. One user quipped, “No wonder these people can’t find a partner. Their parents are way too picky.” Another mocked the height demands, stating, “A guy who’s only 170cm wants someone taller than 160cm? That’s absurd.”
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