Xi Anjie, an office worker in Shanghai, is among those singles who
takes a bashing each year from relatives concerned by their marital
status.
Unable to find a girlfriend to parade in front of his
matchmaking-obsessed relatives, Xi, 35, elected to stay at home after a
brief celebration with his parents for this week-long holiday.
Others have devised more elaborate ways around the problem.
Last month, a Beijing University student was offering 1,000 yuan ($125)
to potential "girlfriends" if they would rent themselves to him for 10
days during Spring Festival to impress his parents.
Wang Jisheng, a professor with the Psychology Institution of the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China's singles should be
careful not to confuse filial piety with lies and deception.
However, a domestic website suggests that these days more people are
finding it difficult to meet a partner.