High-end matchmaking agencies rise in popularity among China’s rich

World Today

For most people, the search for true love is often a personal adventure each person embarks on alone. At least that’s the case if we can’t afford or are not willing to pay a big price for a new route to true love. CCTV’s Lin Nan reported the story from Shanghai.

In order to find true love, you need to go through a personality test, background check and a consultation with a price tag ranging from 40,000 to 100,000 Yuan (about $6,400 to $16,000). Just in time for Valentine’s Day, 33-year-old financial adviser Cao Jian came to a high-end matchmaking agency for help.

“I am quite busy at work, and my social circle is very limited for finding the right girl,” Jian explained. “But I still want a happy relationship and life. That’s why I am here, for professional help.”

After meeting, screening and getting to know each new customer, the agency will match like-minded individuals, pulling thousands of members from their database.
“We will vet and recommend potential matches based on their criteria,” Yang Yan, senior marriage counselor of Jiayuan International Co., Ltd. said. “If both are happy to meet each other, we will set up a first date. The hunt for love will be more effective and accurate.”

The agency has claimed a high success rate thanks to its preliminary screening process. Its customers have expanded from people in their 30s to those in their 20s and 50s.

“The successful and rich groups tend to focus on their careers at an early age,” Lu Xiaowen, vice director of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences said. “The high-end, match-making agencies are offering exactly what they want in quickly finding a partner within the same social and financial status, and educational background.”