Love and marriage: China’s Dali Bai region pledges to help its 33,000 bachelors find wives
- Region will set up task force to ‘tackle marriage problems’ for its thousands of bachelors aged 35 to 55 as births crisis threatens growth
Authorities in southwestern China have pledged to set up a task force and hold dating events to “tackle marriage problems” faced by tens of thousands of bachelors above 35.
The initiative from the Dali Bai autonomous prefecture of Yunnan province comes as the country tries to fend off a dire demographic crisis caused by falling birth rates and an ageing population.
Door-to-door surveys showed the prefecture was home to nearly 33,000 unmarried men aged between 35 and 55 as of last September, online news portal The Paper reported on Friday, citing the regional government.
A task force will be set up to address the problem, and dating events held across towns for unmarried men of different age and interest groups, the government said.
The trade union of Dali will also hold 13 dating events before the year-end to “promote a correct view of marriage and love among young people and increase the marriage rate”, according to The Paper.
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Local youth and women’s groups were already working hard to help young couples get married, the report said. This included set up dating corners and activity centres, marriage advisory services, and regular group activities for rural men.
