Wang Zheli, 36, gained overnight fame this week after his dating experience was covered by a metropolitan newspaper in east China's Zhejiang province.
Wang, who runs a Chinese restaurant in Italy and remains single, had arranged to meet 18 girls in 20 days.
His dates included teachers, nurses, government employees and private businessowners like himself, while their date locations ranged from cafes, restaurants and theaters to temple fairs, or crowded Spring Festival gatherings that feature acrobatic shows, song and dance performance and stalls selling snacks and souvenirs.
Though not every lonely heart is as busy as Wang, they all feel the pressure. An online poll conducted by Baihe.com, China's largest matchmaking service, found that more than 80 percent of respondents under the age of 33 felt pressure regarding love and marriage, saying they felt guilty for being unable to find love.
As the pressure mounts, some even rent a boyfriend or girlfriend to accompany them home in order to make their parents happy. Such "rent-a-date" services have been popular on Taobao.com, China's largest online shopping website, for at least the last two years.
Two weeks into her homecoming holiday in east China's Jiangsu province, Wang Hui, a white-collar worker at a foreign-invested firm in Beijing, has found herself at the center of every conversation in her extended family of at least 40 people.
"Fortunately, my parents didn't arrange any dates for me. But it's still uncomfortable when everyone asks the same question, 'Are you getting married yet?'"
Like many grown women, Wang said she is eager to get married and have a child. "Last year, my friends and colleagues arranged many dates for me, but none of them lasted long."
This was discouraging for the otherwise confident and outgoing woman. "Even my younger brother is getting married this year. Unless I can find my match, I'm not sure if I will still dare to come home next year."
Most singles around the age of 30 are well-educated, independent and have plans for their careers, said Zhou Xiaopeng, a specialist on love and family issues from Baihe.com.
"They represent a new trend in urban life," he said. "In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, at least 1 million people are unmarried after 30. Family members and society should be more tolerant of their lifestyle and respect their choices."
"Leave them alone, relax and they will ultimately find their valentine," said Zhou.
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