One particular business is flourishing in China: that of the single. In the Land of the Dragon, much of the lonely hearts business revolves around a name site Baihe. It doesn't say anything to us, but within the confines of the former Celestial Empire (where, remember, Facebook doesn't exist) it is known to everyone. It is in fact the largest online platform reserved for those looking for someone to marry, a reality that today has 300 million members and about 3 employees with the delicate task of proposing matches.
Overall, the turnover of this sector is in eight figures: hundreds of millions of dollars. But how is it possible that in China, par excellence the most populous country in the world, people have so much difficulty finding a partner? It seems only a phenomenon of costume, but it is not. The boom in singles is both a consequence and a cause of the economic one, but its true origin is in a very long social experiment carried out by the Beijing regime.
THE ONE CHILD POLICY
The about 200 million singles that populate China today – of which 66 million under the age of 30 – are largely the result of “one child policy”, inaugurated in 1979 by the Communist Party and lasted 35 years. Being able to have only one child, many families have chosen to keep the boys and to abort or let the girls die, thus producing an imbalance between the sexes which now creates many problems. For every 114 men, there are 100 women in China. In all, there are 30 million more males than females. Not only that: this imbalance is grafted onto a social context in which the increase in economic well-being in recent decades has made people on average more selective and less prone to the compromises required by married life. Difficult premises for a country where growing old without being married often leads to social exclusion.
THE AMAZING EXPENDITURE OF THE RICH FOR THE “PERFECT BRIDE”
Thus, over the years, the services designed to facilitate the search for a partner have made a fortune. Beyond Baihe, one of the most important companies in this sector is Diamond Love, an agency with 5 million members that promises the wealthiest clients to find them the perfect bride: it is enough to fork out 15 thousand dollars a month.
It seems an astronomical figure for those used to Western realities such as Tinder or Meetic, but among the rich Chinese there are those who are able to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in his wife search. In these cases, more often than not the focus is not on personal compatibility, but on the symbolic (and material) value attributed to the woman, who becomes a status symbol, a mirror of her husband's wealth.
THE “BACHELOR VILLAGES”
Those who do not have such huge economic means can go to one of the so-called "bachelor villages”, where women-wives from Cambodia and North Korea converge. Not surprisingly, according to the United Nations, in recent years there has been an increase in human trafficking in rural areas of China.
WIVES-HOLOGRAM
Technology offers other solutions – this time, fortunately, respectful of human rights. The Japanese startup Couger has produced a real virtual girlfriend. Her name is Rachel and is a hologram based on artificial intelligence. No headphones or cables needed: Rachel appears in augmented reality on your computer or smartphone screen.
Also Azumi Hikari it is a hologram, but its image is projected into a transparent tube a few tens of centimeters high. In addition to performing the duties of a home virtual assistant – for example, he knows how to turn the lights on and off at home – he keeps users company by sending them a series of messages during the day. He cost more than $2.700.
THE “ADVANCED WOMEN”
On the other side of the fence are the so-called “advanced women”, i.e. the Chinese in the flesh who remained without a husband over the age of 27. It doesn't matter if they have a luxury apartment or a powerful car: if they don't have a husband, they are publicly recognized as "leftovers". A real insult encouraged by the government itself to push women to reproduce. The reason? After three and a half decades of having only children, the most populous country in the world needs children to ensure the future of its economy.
