BEIJING: A Hong Kong woman shared her disappointing experience at a “matchmaking corner” in southern China, where she faced rejection due to her age and height of only 154cm, igniting ridicule and humorous debate among mainland netizens.
The woman, known online as “Daily Life of the Slightly Plump Xiangxiang”, was born in the 1990s and identifies as a fashion blogger with over 70,000 followers on Xiaohongshu.
Although based in Hong Kong, she originally hails from Chaozhou, a city in southern Guangdong province.
On Dec 5, she posted a video recounting her matchmaking experience at Tianhe Park in Guangzhou, which began with her taking a three-hour train journey from Hong Kong, departing at 7.50am.
She explained her desire to find a partner from the mainland, expressing a preference for kind and gentle men, noting: “Hong Kong men tend to have bad tempers.”
Matchmaking corners, established in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen since 2004, are unique cultural events where eager parents display posters with detailed personal information about their unmarried adult children, hoping to find suitable partners for them.
In Xiangxiang’s video, the matchmaking corner in Guangzhou was predominantly populated by ageing parents, eagerly welcoming interested parties to chat and explore potential compatibility.
Most attendees at this corner are highly educated and financially stable. For instance, some participants hold postgraduate degrees, earn annual incomes exceeding 500,000 yuan (US$68,000), and own cars and properties in central downtown areas of Guangzhou.
Xiangxiang revealed that she does not possess a mainland household registration, a car, or property, and felt the need to assess her “market value”.
However, when she approached the mother of a man from Harbin in northern China, who earns a monthly salary of over 30,000 yuan (US$4,000), the mother explained that she had been “setting up her stall for a long time” because her son is “quite outstanding” and prefers to marry later.
According to the mother, although her son was born in 1984 and stands 174cm tall, he specifically seeks a partner born in 1988, 1989, 1992, or 1993, with a minimum height of 160cm.
Upon learning that Xiangxiang is only 154cm tall, the mother rejected her, stating: “You’re old.” She emphasised that Xiangxiang’s height was disqualifying, despite acknowledging that she is “really excellent”.
Later, Xiangxiang faced similar rejections from another man, a master’s graduate who is 170cm tall and also required a minimum height of 160cm for his potential partner.
Ultimately, Xiangxiang described her overall experience as a “complete failure”, noting that height appeared to be a significant factor for women in mainland matchmaking, unlike in Hong Kong.
She further quipped: “Some people ask why I’m so old and still single. I’d honestly say, ‘If I were so focused on dating and relationships, I wouldn’t have my current income!’”
Her post garnered over 1,000 likes and 150 comments on Xiaohongshu, where many netizens mocked the participants’ unrealistic expectations.
One commenter noted: “No wonder these people cannot find a partner. Their parents are way too picky.”
Another added: “A guy who’s only 170cm demanding someone taller than 160cm? Really?”
“All the good men and women are never in the matchmaking market anyway,” remarked someone else. - South China Morning Post
