China'syoungsinglesunderpressurefromparentsandfamilytogetmarriedareincreasinglyturningtowebsitestofindMsorMrRight.
LiFei,28,logsontheonlinedatingplatformNetEaseHuatianeverydayhopingtofindhisideallifepartner.Hechatsupyoungwomenonline,andsendsonlinemessagestothosehe'sinterestedin.
"I'mstilllookingformytruelove.IgetmanymessagesonceIpostsomethinginterestingonmyprofile.ThenIrealizeit'snotsodifficulttomakefriendsonline,"saysLi,anengineerfromBeijing.
NetEaseunveileditsonlinedatingplatforminNovember,andthebetaversionisnowbeingtestedinBeijing,Shanghai,Hangzhou,GuangzhouandShenzhen.ItstargetcustomersarepeoplewholiketousetheInternetandsmartphones,withanaverageagerangingfrom20to35.
Usershavetoregisterwiththeiridentificationcardnumberormobilephonenumber.
WiththedevelopmentofmatchmakingsitesontheInternet,moreandmoreChineseturntosuchwebsitessincetheseallowthemtofiltertherequirementsfortheiridealpartners.
"Ihavemorechoicesonlineandfeelmorerelaxed.Huatianismoresuitableforyoungpeople.Comparedwithothersites,theservicesareallfree,andIdon'tfeellikeIamamerchandizeforsale,"saysZhangXiaomo,26,amagazineeditorfromBeijing.
Likeothers,sheoftenuploadsherpictures,writesdownherfeelings,andbrowsestoseewhethertherearesuitableyoungmen.Shegetsmanyonlinemessagesandchatswithsomeofthem.
"Evenifsomearenotsuitableaslovers,wecanstillbefriends,"shesays.
InDecember2012,Nasdaq-listedJiayuan.comLtdpublishedThe2012-2013ReportaboutMarriageValuesamongYoungChinesetogetherwiththeNationalPopulationandFamilyPlanningCommission.
Accordingtothereport,thereare249millionunmarriedChineseabovetheageof18,andmenaremoreanxiousthanwomentogetintodating,relationshipandmarriage.
Amongtheunmarriedpopulationinthepost-1970s,post-1980sandpost-1990s,thereare23.15millionmoremalesthanfemales.Theimbalancebetweenmenandwomenisobviousandtheratioamongthepost-1970spopulationisabout2menforeverywoman.
AccordingtoWanQi,productmanagerofNetEaseHuatian,thecriteriaformostisnotjustaboutwhetherthepotentialmatehastherightjobsandproperties,butalsomatchinglifestyleandvalues.
GuoMengmeng,25,fromBeijing,methercurrenthusbandthedaysheregisteredwithJiayuan.cominJanuary,andgotmarriedinMay.
Jiayuanhasmorethan73millionmembersandeveryday,about7,000changetheirstatusto"inarelationship"or"married".
"Iwasattractedtohisonlineprofileincludinghisself-introductionandphotos,soIsenthimanonlinemessage.Itturnedoutwesharealotincommon,andwetalkedonthephoneforsevenoreighthoursinthefirstfortnight,"shesays.
"IfeltlesspressurelaterbecauseIdidn'thavetogototheblinddatesarrangedbymyfamily.Also,it'smoreflexibleasIcanbrowsetheInternetinmysparetimeandreadvariouspeople'sprofilesonline,"shesays.
"SometimesIreceivefunnyandembarrassingmessages,becausetheyoungmendon'tknowhowtotalktogirlstherightway,"Zhangsays.
Shesaysthewebsitecantraintheseyoungmenonhowtomakebetterconversation.Theycanalsoorganizesocialactivitiesofflineordevelopmoreonlinefunctionstomakeusersinteractwitheachother.
LiuFengqin,chiefpsychologistofTheMapleWomen'sPsychologicalCounselingCenterinBeijing,saysaftergettingtoknoweachotheronline,thetransitiontoreallifecommunicationisveryimportant.
Potentialpartnershavetoknowwhatsuitsthembest,andtheyhavetoadoptamatureattitudeaswell.Itisalsoimportanttothoroughlyunderstandeachother'sfamilyandsocialbackground,includingthetypeoffriends.
"Onlinecommunicationispurelywords,butamarriageneedsmorethanverbalcommunication.Whilemeetingone'sonlinedate,oneshouldbeawareofsafetyandself-protection,andavoidmeetinginprivateplacesatfirst,"shesays.
Shesaysonlinedatingwebsitesshouldprovidemoreservicessuchastrainingtheyoungpeoplehowtogetalongwitheachotherandone'sfamilies.
ZhouZhongxiao,vice-presidentofJiayuan,couldn'tagreemore.
"Comparedwiththedatesintroducedbyfamiliesorfriends,it'sdifficulttoensuretheauthenticityoftheidentitiesoftheonlinedates.Oneneedsbeverycareful,incasebeingdeceived,"Zhousays.
"Thedomesticonlinedatingwebsites,whicharejustsimpleplatformstomakefriends,arestilldeveloping.Morevalue-addedservicesareneeded,suchaspsychologicalcounseling,andhelpforthosewhoareinarelationshipormarriage,"Zhousays.
"Wealsoorganizeactivitiesforuserstomeeteachother,suchasofferingcheapmovietickets,butsomeusersdon'tlikebeingarranged."
Asthetrendsindicate,onlymoreandmorepeoplewillbeturningtotheInternetasawaytointeract,anddatingwebsiteswillhavetodevelopmorematureservicestosatisfythedemand.