Speed dating, Shanghai-s.tyle

Over the last 20 years, the number of people getting married in China has fallen by almost 50%. Now, Shanghai parents are taking matters into their own hands: hundreds of parents who believe their children are too old to be single have formed matchmaking parent』s groups. At meetings, parents of male and female children line up on opposite sides of the room. They then watch a slideshow displaying information about children of the opposite sex, including age, height, education and income, family background and housing status (men are often expected to own their own apartment to qualify as suitable candidates). When the lights go up, parents search for each other with the aid of loudspeakers. The meetings, which began in July, are already oversubscribed until January 2006.

Pressure to marry can run high―the older generation believes that women in China should be married before they turn 28. Many of the parents at September』s meeting, who had female children aged between 23 and 30 years old, pinned their hopes on the parents of number 128: their son is 5ft 8in tall, studying for a master』s degree and earns 13,000 yuan per month (about ,600), almost double the average annual wage in China. [/FONT]

source: dreamvalley.yculblog.com/post.866366.html[/COLOR]



Property in Shanghai

Property in Shanghai is hot―literally, in some cases. On August 30th, two Shanghai real-estate agents were sentenced to death for torching the homes of people who refused to make way for a new development. Wang Changkun and Yang Sunqin of the Shanghai Urban Development Housing Relocation Company (half-owned by the Chinese state) started a fire that killed a 70-year-old couple in January. Though the agents have been sentenced to death, they were granted a two-year reprieve and will probably serve life sentences. A third man was also sentenced to life in prison for his role in the attack.

The neighbourhood where the attack took place has been targeted by arsonists 12 times since 2004. Police say they have found evidence that at least five of the fires were started by the same relocation company. Property in the area, near Shanghai』s central Urumqi Road, is some of the most valuable in the city. State land requisitions have become an explosive social issue in China, with many in both urban and rural areas accusing the government of illegal land grabs to enrich party cadres.[/FONT]

source: dreamvalley.yculblog.com/post.866365.html[/COLOR]