Chinese hope money can buy themlove
Single people in China are turning to expensive courses in romance to find a partner, fuelling a booming dating industry in a country where an estimated 200 million are on their own.
Websites and apps such as Tantan, the Chinese version of the dating app Tinder, are popular. However, many people frustrated with internet dating are spending up to 200,000 yuan ($44,000) a year for offline matchmaking services, as well as courses teaching them dating etiquette.
According to state media the Chinese dating industry was worth $583 million in 2015, and the figure was expected to rise as more services become available.
A Beijing-based woman, 29, speaking to the Global Times newspaper under a pseudonym, said that she had spent $2600 on a six-month online course of dating tips and $350 to join a dating club that organised social events.
"You can pay for extra activities as well so that you can have more chances to meet the right person," she said.
"Many of my single friends have bought dating services."
In Beijing men can pay $1615 for a week-long course with a male "attracting expert". The course includes field trips to shopping malls and nightclubs to talk to women, guidance on how to give compliments and live online date support via a messaging app.
Chinese women are sometimes cruelly referred to as "leftovers" if they reach their late 20s without getting married. Some dating companies take advantage of this, charging higher premiums to clients over 30.