VANCOUVER SUN - Nov 14 - On a sunny day on the outskirts of Shanghai on Sunday, 20,000 hopeful, curious and in some cases desperate Chinese gathered for the world's largest dating event. At least a third of the attendees were parent. For China's bachelors, the obligation to buy their brides a marital home weighs heavily. The government has tinkered with the law to dissuade women from marrying for money, rather than love, but there was little sign on Sunday that the message had sunk in. For many couples, the money for the house and car comes from the parents, giving those wandering the fair plenty of influence when it comes to picking their in-laws.
by Malcolm Moore
The full article was originally published at Vancouver Sun, but is no longer available.
