Woman, 38, Has A Meltdown At China Matchmaking Spot After Being Repeatedly Rejected For Being “Too Old”

A video filmed at a matchmaking market at Guangzhou’s Tianhe Park has been making its rounds on the internet, where a woman is seen crying and venting her frustration after failing to find a match. 

For those unfamiliar with the concept, matchmaking markets, also known as the “bride market”, are a common sight in China. Typically held on weekends, these gatherings see parents, sometimes accompanied by their single children, sometimes not, displaying printed dating profiles in hopes of finding suitable matches. 

These spaces turn marriage into a public exchange of profiles, preferences, and “compatibility stats”. Basically, it’s like using a dating app, but IRL, with the inclusion of one’s folks. 

But back to the woman. According to accounts, she holds a master’s degree from a top university, works as an executive at a foreign company, earns around 500,000 yuan (S$95,000) a year, and is fully financially independent, owning both a home and a car in Guangzhou.

By most standards, she would be seen as a “top-tier” match in the marriage market. But apparently, one thing stood in her way — her age. 

According to those present at the matchmaking market, she crouched beneath a tree and broke down in tears, her body shaking as she tried to hold back sobs. That day supposedly marked her 28th blind date, where she faced repeated rejections and was simply told she was “not suitable” for the other party.

In an attempt to comfort her, an elderly woman was said to have approached the woman and said: “She’s such a great girl — educated, capable, just a bit older. If she were five or six years younger, with her qualifications, she’d be snapped up instantly here.” 

Others echoed similar sentiments. However, what was meant as consolation appeared to strike a sore spot. 

Overwhelmed by repeated rejection and frustration, the woman eventually snapped, leading to the viral moment captured in the video.

Standing in tears, she turned to the matchmaking crowd and cried out: “I’m already 38, but I don’t want to just settle or make do. I have a career, I’ve been single my whole life, and I want someone like me. I earn 500,000 yuan a year — can’t I find someone who matches that? I just want to find someone with similar qualifications who suits me, why is it so hard?”

After being shared online by a passerby, the clip triggered a heated discussion around women who are “left on the shelf” and the societal pressures faced by older, single women seeking partners. 

Framing it as a harsh reality, one netizen commented: “No matter how high your education is, you can’t beat the biological clock.”

Many felt it was unfair that her age alone made her “not good enough”, while others pointed to a broader age bias in the dating market, where a woman’s reproductive value is often tied to her worth. 

Some netizens brought up a clear double standard, where a 38-year-old man is seen as mature and experienced, while a woman of the same age is often scorned for being “too old”. 

Another woman — a 35-year-old PhD holder earning 600,000 yuan (S$114.5k) a year — shared she had faced similar rejections for being “too old” or “too intimidating”. 

“Does self-improvement actually become a disadvantage in dating?” she questioned. 

Then there were also more, well, controversial takes, with some arguing that she shouldn’t limit herself to her age group and, given her financial standing, could even consider dating men in their 20s, hinting that she could “give them an allowance”. 

However, others countered the idea, saying relationships built on money alone are unlikely to last without a genuine emotional connection.

The fact is, many women in her position are not asking for much. They are simply looking for someone with shared values and equal standing, yet somehow, age ends up overshadowing all their achievements.

Here’s our take. She shouldn’t have to lower or alter her standards just because she is considered “too old”. She is successful, and more than capable to support herself, after all. 

But what do you think?

Photos: @Men_laoshuaige/ X, Weibo