Good news for short, ugly men: modern mainland women are adjusting their standards for finding their ideal match.
A survey by psychologists at Peking University on lonely hearts advertisements published in women's magazines during the past 15 years found that nowadays women were less obsessed about a potential partner's age, height and education, instead of going for guys with a promising career and a stable income.
In 2000 only 29 per cent of women claimed that they wanted to marry an educated man, compared with 73 per cent in 1985 - and in stark contrast to the Chinese tradition that higher education is a must when selecting a mate.
Experts say things have changed because education was an indication of a man's wealth in the 1980s, while now it depends on what career he is involved in.
Qian Mingyi, the author of the report, said: 'From an evolutionary point of view, men with better social and economic conditions are more likely to ensure the well-being of the marital life and the offspring.'
For the same reason, characteristics such as height, age, appearance and the location of their permanent residence are less significant to more realistic women.