Yul Kwon:
Over in China, a whopping 98 percent of women get married. That's good news, unless you happen to be one of the 2 percent who are single and still looking for love. But if you live in Shanghai, you could be in luck. The Shanghai Expo Park holds an annual matchmaking event that attracts tens of thousands of people searching for their soulmates. Here's South Korean broadcaster MBC with the story.

Reporter:
The Shanghai Expo Park is crammed with men and women over 30. The full profiles of people wanting to go on a blind date cover the notice board. Parents are also busy checking the profiles, but they seem disappointed when the profile does not include an all-important photo. This woman is a 31-year-old working for a big stock broker after studying in Canada. She hasn't yet found a future spouse.

Blind Date Candidate:
It's good that I can go on a blind date right away, but I have no clue what he looks like since there is no picture attached to his profile.

Reporter:
Once a choice is made, the blind date starts immediately at a table located in the middle of the park. Women's economic and social status has gone up recently, but this change makes it rather hard for women to meet a spouse.

Event Coordinator:
Women around 35 are trying to find men who are both 3 to 5 years older and a good catch financially. But it's not easy.

Reporter:
This big blind date event in Shanghai is held every spring. Forty thousand men and women attended it this year. In China, where women's economic independence is becoming more important, the number of unmarried women beyond prime marrying age is increasing as women strive to make a living on their own.