On Sunday afternoons one can find swarms of tourists in central Beijing with their fancy cameras, elbowing each other out of the way for one of the cities most famous shots: The Forbidden City Reflected.Across the Forbidden City's moat in Zhongshan Park there is a lesser known swarm of eager, elbowing bidders. Hundreds of parents mill about swapping photographs and details of their marriageable sons and daughters: Sunday's market of arranged marriages!
Hundreds of photocopied sheets change hands, detailing everything from age to education, star sign to expectations. There are even the extra pushy mothers who instruct other hopefuls that they shouldn't come without being well equipped with up-to-date portraits of the prospective brides and grooms!
If I'm unable to hook myself a husband by age 35, I know where I'm sending my mother!
