Finding the ideal partner is rarely easy but on the mainland - where an estimated 260 million are hunting for a spouse - the process is often more about economics and pragmatism than a desire for romance, a major survey finds.
According to the '2010-2011 China Marriage and Relationships Survey', released on the eve of Valentine's Day, mainland lonely hearts are increasingly adopting a traditional approach to marriage - from the use of match-makers to the perceived importance of finding a good social match.
The survey - which claims to be the largest of its kind within the United Nations - was organised by a nationwide consortium of media outlets and quizzed 21,694 single mainlanders aged 23 to 35 over the course of a month using both online and traditional questionnaires. Just under two thirds of the survey's respondents were female.
Societal and economic factors in the mainland today - from the rising cost of housing and an increasingly materialistic culture to a significant gender imbalance - are ramping up traditional tensions over the need to marry.
With the first generation of men born under the one-child policy now at marrying age, they are coming under immense parental pressure to find a bride - while facing a shortage of women of a similar age.
At the same time, professional women, who are still single above the age of 27, have become a social phenomenon all of their own - dubbed 'leftover women', they tend to have difficulty finding husbands due to their higher earnings and education.
But the survey's results suggest attitudes towards marriage and the process of finding a partner are becoming increasingly conservative and governed by traditional values.
