Are Shanghai girls gold diggers? Well, a recent survey conducted by The Committee of Match-making Service Industries of China Association of Social Workers just reminded us that there must be some truth in that stereotype, and that it might also apply to the rest of China.
According to the 2011 Chinese dating and wedding survey released on Jan. 4 (download the original report here), up to 92% of women chose “stable income” as an essential condition for marriage. Among the 50,384 interviewees, 70% of the women proclaimed that men shouldn’t get married until they own an apartment.
The most interesting discovery is that close to 80 percent of the single women surveyed, think that only men who make over RMB4,000 per month deserve to have a girlfriend. While 27.1 percent think that only men who make over RMB10,000 per month are suitable. According to the 2011 Chinese graduates’ income report, the average salary of a new graduate in China is RMB2,815. Does it mean they don’t deserve a girlfriend?
Most male Weibo users “feel great pressure” after reading the report. One Weibo user “John” wrote: “RMB devaluation or Chinese men devaluation?” While some Weibo users think this survey ridiculous, many users think that behind the seemingly cruel survey lies the reality. Another Weibo user “shuifang” wrote, “in big cities like Shanghai, it’s really hard to survive on RMB4,000 per month, not to mention to go on dates.” Yu Xia, a TV commentator wrote: “Dating is expensive, RMB4000 is not even enough to buy an iPhone for a girlfriend.” Chen Sijin, a financial expert wrote humorously: “I suppose 60% of singles make less than RMB 4，000 in China, if 80% of women don’t want to date them, that means the Chinese population will drop soon without having to rely on birth control any more.” Check the link here
But there is a sign of change, 57 percent of women, compared to 71 percent in 2010, think that finding a good husband is more important compared to finding a good job. And up to 70 percent people who had a "naked wedding", think they are in a happy marriage. “Although good income and apartment ownership are still considered important elements, the survey shows a lower dependence on economy in terms of marriage.” Tian Fanjiang, an official in the China’s marriage association pointed out.
The survey also saw a different trend in dating, 30 percent of the interviewee said that they didn’t care who pays for dinner during a date, most women accept splitting the cost while only 26.1 percent insists that men should pay for everything. Among the post ‘90s generation, kids are dating at a younger age. Over 24.7 percent of students in junior high school have started to date compared to 3.6% among people who were born before '70s at the same age period.
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I'd like to see a story about foreign guys looking for rich Chinese girls for wives--the opposite of the traditional gold digger stereotype. There are some out there.
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"The Committee of Match-making Service Industries of China Association of Social Workers".... that makes me laugh a little.
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@claire, that's not as bad as a certain SEA country's - Social Development Unit or commonly abbreviated as SDU (or as a good friend told me: Single Desperate + Ugly) *ouch*
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Well, just tell us something we don't already know. You're just preachin' to the choir. So, yeah, might as well do try and do a story on 'foreign guys looking for rich Chinese wives'. The demographic and hunt should be hilarious-gold diggers looking to fleece former successful gold diggers. hahaha
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Well said, duplication (copying) is the highest form of compliment. :-))) Hope its not a shan zai version. ;-)
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"Do you deserve a Chinese girlfriend?" I don't know, sounds like cruel and unusual torture akin to waterboarding. For what crime is the fitting punishment seen to be a Shanghainese girlfriend? Murder? Genocide?
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I read an article from WSJ written by a comlumnist there, believing in 2012, one of the most profitable business for foreigners in China is to seek marriage to a rich Chinese, so called "Rich Junior" or "Fu Er Dai". What do you think?
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@doroto, Can you please share the WSJ weblink/url if possible? So that we can read the same article. As for the "Fu Er Dai", generally my comment is based on the ancient chinese saying --> wealth doesn't go pass the 3rd generation (Fu bu chuan san dai) -- so my thoughts are why bother with the "Rich juniors" (male OR female), and get the 1st generation by creating wealth. :-) Unless that person(s) only cares about a single generation? ;-)
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"one of the most profitable business for foreigners in China is to seek marriage to a rich Chinese" what journalistic claptrap if it was actually written. It was probably a comedic piece. I know a few different stories of a couple of foreign guys who married a Chinese woman who owned a few pieces of expensive residential properties. So what? What we do know is that really significant wealth is being taken out of China and the Chinese families go with it. That wealth isn't being given to foreigners. There was a court case in Shanghai several years ago when well-to-do (not rich) Chinese woman, who had married her English teacher , divorced him on grounds that he had become unwilling to work after marriage. He counter sued for half her money. The court awarded him zero on the grounds that foreigners had the advantage to make more money than a Chinese would. That sets a far reaching precedent for an attitude that the court and culture would assume when these marriages collapse. There's no get rich quick scheme here. The forces are against.
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I cannot locate that article now as it is a few months ago. Of course, that article is written in an amusing tone, and not really serious about taking marriage as an investment. It was intended to depict Chinese societal phenomena that are quite strange to foreign minds.
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@Doroto Thank you for confirming what I suspected. The article sounds like a good laugh and humor is always welcomed.
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i guess all this match making site are supposed to designed for Asian girls to expand their horizons, improve language skills, with individuals from different cultures communicate, in short, in all aspects. online dating service
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poor Chinese guys...anyway, I prefer date foreign girls.