Editor’s note: this article was translated and edited from Wenxuecity.com, and looks at the recent trend of “blind dating sessions for the rich” – events that are organized for rich Chinese men who are looking to find a suitable partner. The article focuses on one Wuhan-based businessman who organizes yearly blind date events. The man describes the processes in selecting the men and women who attend the events; the most perverse part being the desire to find a woman who can submit proof of her virginity. The article then wraps up with a few analytical points regarding these blind dates and the effect they could have on society.  

Millionaire Qu Fuqiang, 40, is the General Manager of a high-end marriage association in Wuhan, and previously arranged Wuhan’s first and second ever blind date event for the wealthy. “Pale skin, beautiful cheeks, a good-looking face, a nice body and a good temperament…these are the things that rich men look for a in a woman,” he explains. Plans for the third blind date event are currently in the pipeline. Qu first got into the matchmaking business 11 years ago when he steered his attention towards China’s rich and single. Although times back then were different and he had to be much more secretive about his matchmaking for the wealthy, Qu was one of the first people in China to organize blind dates for the rich.

Thousands pay hefty signup fees to attend

The first event took place back in 2010, and although the entrance fee was up to 59,999 RMB, there were over 300 wealthy men who signed up, as well as 10,000 women. The 2011 blind date session saw the entrance fee rise to 99,999 RMB, though this time over 3,500 men and 50,000 women attended. Qu believes that the 2013 event, which is set to be held in early July, will be on an even larger scale, and will see many rich individuals from all over China sign up. “The entrance fee will probably remain at 99,999 RMB this year, with the five “9s” representing longevity and the idea that familiarity breeds fondness…” (the pronunciation of “nine/九” in Chinese is the same as “久”, which means a long time).

Intense selection processes

Among the 10,000 odd women who signed up for the event, only 40 are eventually chosen to participate. Through auditions and interviews, the “lucky ones” are plucked out in an intense selection process which Qu states is similar to the Super Girl singing contest. First, applicants are assessed online and must meet a series of strict requirements. Women over 30 are rejected, as are women who are or were previously married. Women deemed “not visually attractive” will also be given the boot, and once the list has been whittled down to around 4,000, it’s down to a team of around 20 of Qu’s employees to get in touch with them and have a chat over the phone or via webcam. Then, when there are around 2,000 applicants remaining, interviews are carried out by love consultants and psychological consultants who chat to between 70-80 people per day for around ten minutes.

After these three rounds, 140 women are chosen to compete for the 40 places available at the event. Among these 140 there are many women who have studied abroad or have been to Peking or Tsinghua University, and many hold esteemed jobs such as university teachers or civil servants. It’s then that the selection process enters its harshest phase, as women who for example have moles on their faces or don’t know who to do housework are likely to be eliminated. In order to gain the favor of the judges and the wealthy men attending the blind date event, the woman are expected to wear makeup and dress up nicely while they partake in a “talent show”. In groups of ten, the 140 women exhibit themselves in front of a panel of judges who then finally decide who is good enough to make it to the top 40.

Male applicants also have to go through a strict selection process, with requirements such as personal assets eclipsing 30 million RMB or an annual income of over 1 million RMB being a necessity, as well as an industrial and commercial business licence, property, a car, proof of bachelorhood, a clean criminal record and so on.

What are the results?

But are these blind dates for the wealthy a waste of everyone’s time? “The first event saw 29 couples get together, while the second resulted in 38 pairings. Currently, some of these couples are even married and have children,” explained Qu Fuqiang. Qu then produced a form which tracked the progress of successful matches. The form showed pictures depicting the couples happily married with kids. One of these success stories is 37-year-old Liu, who is a real estate agent. Liu met his future wife, Xiao Yu, who is an air hostess, at one of Qu’s matchmaking events. When they got married, they even invited Qu to be a witness at their wedding.

The 2011 event took place on a luxurious boat that set out from Wuhan’s harbor, and it was during this party that 48 women and 50 men attempted to strike up a chord with one another. One of the men was 39-year-old multimillionaire Dong, who ended up on the stage of the boat with two women who caught his eye. In a dating show-esque moment, the host of the event gave Dong 30 seconds to choose which woman he wanted to date. Dong eventually chose to go with a 23-year-old model.

The virginity issue

Virginity is still high on the list regarding these blind dating events, and the fact that some girls are made to prove their virginity receives a lot of condemnation from Chinese netizens. “We’re not responsible for this kind of vulgar hype, though there are some girls who bring with them proof of their virginity,” explained one boss of a marriage agency involved in the events. The owner of the agency then went on to tell the story of one girl in her 20s who did just that. 

Wen Han, who grew up the countryside, now works for a scientific research institute in Wuhan having graduated from university. Wen has never had a boyfriend, though during last year’s Chinese Valentine’s Day her institute organized a smaller equivalent of Qu Fuqiang’s blind dating sessions for the wealthy. There were eight male multimillionaires present, as well as 30 women who had been specifically chosen from thousands of applicants. Wen was reportedly chosen due to her “calm and intellectual nature”. When the host of the event asked Wen to comment on what she considered to be her strengths, a blushed Wen ended a brief summary by announcing quietly, “I’ve never had a boyfriend and am still a virgin.” Her statement caused a stir among the men watching, with one participant quizzing, “How can you prove that you’re a virgin?” It was then that Wen pulled out a certificate from a hospital that proved her virginity.

Tong Wei, President of Wuhan-based love and marriage consultation company Yiai, believes that the fact that some women must prove their virginity is ridiculous; however it does say something about the cruel, competitive nature of these dating events. “Many women dream of marrying a rich man. Once they have the chance, they’ll lock on and find countless ways to achieve their goal. Before they attend these blind dating sessions, they’ll often come to agencies like ours for training sessions in an attempt to improve their chances.”

Final comments

Actress Deng Xiuwen, who starred in the film “Marry a Rich Man” (嫁个有钱人), portrayed a character who, in order to do as the title says, studied etiquette and conversation styles, and even flew first class to Europe to assume the life of a wealthy woman. In reality, perhaps there are many like Deng’s character who dream of marrying a rich man, and the fact that around 50,000 women applied to participate in Qu Fuqiang’s blind date event somewhat reflects this phenomenon. 

Xu Tianli, who previously hosted a similar party on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai back in November 2006, states that these blind dating sessions have actually been going on for around ten years. In recent years however there have been some changes regarding the types of people attending the parties and the attitudes held towards them. Ten years ago, most of the wealthy men attending the dating sessions were over 40 and were recently divorced, whereas these days most of the attendees are young men in their 30s. Previously, many would condemn these events as “emperors choosing their concubines”, though nowadays Xu believes that attitudes towards the blind date parties are in fact more tolerant. Xu also noted that the market regarding these events is now much more mature than before.

Shu Wenming, who is a senior psychological consultant at the Hubei Psychological Association, believes that apart from being a waste of time and money, these blind dating sessions for the wealthy will also incur negative effects such as the worshipping of money. The fact that as long as you have a lot of money you are free to choose whatever girl you please will also result in the damaging of social balance and good customs. According to Shu, if the youthfulness and beauty of these women is used as a type of exchange, then the valuation of human life is also suffering a huge blow.
 

Source: Wenxuecity

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Keywords: rich Chinese men blind dating sessions for rich chinese