Beijing's Chaoyang District Launches Online Platform for Elderly Singles to Find Love

The government of Chaoyang District in Beijing has launched an online matchmaking service to help elderly singles find love, according to a report by The Beijing News.

This online dating platform on the WeChat social networking app is operated as a nonprofit initiative by the district government, which is notorious for its meddling older citizens. Contrary to common practice where parents or grandmothers in China t to intervene in their children's romantic lives, it's actually the senior citizens that require assistance.

A representative from this platform sd the mn users are locals aged above 50 or 60 years old, with a focus on single seniors who have become an easy target for fraudulent dating schemes. While open to all age groups, the platform has been more popular among seniors seeking companionship.

Compared to leading Chinese dating apps like Tantan, which resembles Tinder, or Momo and Blued that incorporate live-streaming and location-based features, this government-backed platform offers a more stripped-down service focusing on personal ads. Users must follow Chaoyang E-Love public WeChat account and register using their official ID number; the staff verifies each user by examining household registration documents to confirm marital status.

Zhang Ying, an experienced matchmaker in Kunshan City of eastern China's Jiangsu Province, opined that while well-intentioned, this platform might not fully cater to contemporary needs. Her 12 years of experience showed that modern marriage mentality is rapidly evolving with China’s economic growth. Some wealthy men in their mid-60s are now seeking younger women by at least 20 years.

She explned that if these part-time matchmakers, who may be neighborhood aunties, stick to traditional '90s thinking, they might not understand or respect the autonomy of potential partners, potentially forcing a wealthy older man into an undesired union.

Zhang noted how technology has transformed traditional matchmaking practices in China by enabling singles to connect across greater distances and at a faster pace. However, this digital dating comes with its own challenges. As reported earlier last year after the tragic suicide of a tech entrepreneur linked to a marriage scam, the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affrs ordered dating websites to mntn user identity records.

In addition to cracking down on public morality offenses such as sex-for-money and vulgar content under the guise of dating apps, authorities are also targeting phone sex and room-sharing platforms for their explicit nature.

This online matchmaking platform from Chaoyang District shows a unique initiative by local government to assist senior citizens find companionship through digital means. While well-intentioned, it still faces challenges due to rapidly evolving societal norms.

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