Scenes in the bustling "love market" thanks to the matchmaker's skillful hand in finding couples

(Dan Tri) - Under the canopy of a "love market" park in Henan (China), hundreds of young people crowded together, listening to every word of "matchmaker Wang" with the hope of soon finding their other half to pair up with.

In an amusement park in the ancient city of Kaifeng ( Henan province, China), hundreds of young people stood crowded together, listening as if wanting to absorb every word of "Matchmaker Wang" - a character disguised by 62-year-old Trieu Mai.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, a young man stepped onto the stage and shared that his previous relationship had ended because he didn’t have time for each other. The matchmaker immediately reassured him: “Now that you’ve met the person of your dreams here, you’ll definitely have time.” The joke made the crowd cheer loudly.

“Matchmaker Vuong” Trieu Mai is considered one of the most famous matchmakers with a winning hand, with matchmaking sessions attracting hundreds of tourists to watch (Photo: The Guardian).

Ms. Trieu Mai has been playing the role of “Mrs. Vuong matchmaker” for 8 years. Since 2023, her matchmaking videos have been widely shared on social media, making the 62-year-old matchmaker famous. From having only a few hundred thousand followers on social media, the number of followers on her personal page has now skyrocketed to more than 7 million.

The audience here is mostly families looking for a place for their children to have fun during the summer vacation, and tourists coming to relax and experience. However, about 1/5 of them come to the "love market" park to find a partner.

“I don’t want to be single all my life,” said 18-year-old Vuong Manh Gia after an unsuccessful matchmaking attempt.

Chinese media commented that Ms. Trieu Mai has revived the image of the matchmaker that often appeared in the countryside in the past. The role of matchmakers is gradually fading as many young people meet each other through social networks or introductions from relatives.

Viewers excitedly filmed the matchmaker's humorous matchmaking videos (Photo: The Guardian).

To date, China's matchmaking market has flourished with services ranging from local governments to businesses, but the trend of urban marriages has been on the decline.

This makes matchmaking increasingly difficult.

Despite matchmaker Zhao Mei’s shows being packed, China’s marriage rate has hit a record low and is being called a national crisis. In 2024, the marriage registration rate fell by 20% to just over 6 million, down from 7.7 million in 2023. The number of couples getting married each year has halved since a decade ago.

This trend is particularly evident among highly educated urban women. According to an analysis by Professor Vuong Phong (University of California, Irvine, USA), more than 40% of urban women aged 25-29 have never been married. In 2000, this figure was only 9%.

Part of the reason is the aging population. China’s decades-long one-child policy (which ended in 2016) has led to a shrinking population of marriageable age. Many urban, educated women now do not see marriage or motherhood as essential to a fulfilling life.

China's leaders are concerned about record low birth rates. Even married people are increasingly refusing to have children.

Statistics show that Chinese women find child-rearing too expensive and highly competitive. Last year, China’s fertility rate was just 6.77 children per 1,000 people, slightly above the record low of 6.39 in 2023 but still down sharply from 10 years ago.

To help, the government has introduced a series of policies to encourage marriage and childbirth. This year, the government announced a child-rearing subsidy of 3,600 yuan ($560) a year until a child is 3 years old. Many provinces also offer bonuses or extra days off to newlyweds. But many women say that’s not enough.

Quang and his sister went to an amusement park in Kaifeng to see a matchmaker (Photo: The Guardian).

The pressure to get married is not just on women. Zhang Hongguang, 21, from Shandong, followed her sister to attend the matchmaking session of "Matchmaker Wang". In addition to the excitement, the two sisters rented costumes together, giving them the feeling of transforming into ancient characters.

But the next day, he had to return to his hometown to go on a blind date as arranged by his parents. Quang said that his parents in the countryside had hired a matchmaker to find a suitable partner for their son. Meanwhile, he admitted that he only liked living alone with dogs and cats.

Quang’s older sister, 24, a Pilates teacher, has also been forced by her parents to go on blind dates many times but has failed. She revealed that she does not want to rush into finding a partner. If possible, she would like to stay single.

“I am in no rush to find a life partner,” she shared. “If I can avoid getting married, I will choose not to get married.”

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/quang-canh-trong-cho-tinh-nao-nhiet-nho-ba-moi-mat-tay-tim-moi-ket-doi-20250818104142832.htm