Shopping for a mate means calculation

Couples pose for their wedding photographs after a group wedding ceremony which was held as part of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province Jan 6, 2015. According to a late survey, love is not the only factor that leads to marriage in China. KIM KYUNGHOON / REUTERS

Love is not the only criterion for marriage in China. A recent survey shows that more than 40 percent of Chinese look to marry someone who suits them in appearance, educational background, social status, income and other characteristics.

Baihe.com, a major dating portal in China, released its 2014 Chinese Marriage Status Survey Report on Sunday. The site has tracked marriage trends in the country since 2007.

The latest results show that 44.4 percent of male and 49.7 percent of female respondents said the reasons for their choice of a marriage partner include their prospective mate’s coming from a family of equal social rank.

"This means people are much more rational when it comes to the marriage decision," the report said. "They would like to match each other under every single standard. Love is no longer the only pass."

The report also said that more than 70 percent of female respondents said they would consider marriage only if the male partner owns property. And more than 70 percent of the women hoped their future husband’s income would be double their own.

Zhou Xiaopeng, the chief marriage consultant at Baihe.com, characterized the phenomenon as "supermarket marriage", where people come with "money in hand" and want to select the best "products" after shopping around.

Tu Ying, a researcher at the portal, said that seeking a partner with quantifiable requirements is efficient.

"In everyday life, it is more and more difficult to find the right person and get to know him or her — not to mention the cost it comes with," Tu said. "If people start with quantifiable standards, and then develop their relationship based on that, it is more likely to be a stable relationship.

"Starting marriage with money cannot guarantee stability from the beginning. Every relationship needs cultivation from each side."

Zhou Xiaozheng, a professor of sociology at Renmin University of China, attributes the new approach to marriage choices to changes in society.

"Chinese people’s view of choosing a mate has undergone many changes," Zhou said. "In the past, marriage was arranged by parents, which reflected the will of family or country. Then it became a personal choice, or so-called love choice. And now it is more related to material standards, or what we call materialism in marriage."

"This is simply because people live in a materialistic world: A couple needs an apartment to live in, which costs a lot; the couple needs to find a good school for their children, which costs a lot; the couple who live far away from their parents need to find a way to support them, which also costs a lot," Zhou said. "It is a vicious circle."

Zhou said to reverse the materialistic trend, the country needs to continue its anti-corruption campaign and improve social welfare, and young people need to know that money is not the solution to everything.