One respondent, surnamed Yao, wrote in her questionnaire that she had attended a 1,000-couple match-making party and ended up feeling like leftovers from a dinner.

"It is very natural for Miss Yao to feel that way because the normal ratio of male to female participants in such parties is more than 3 to 7," Leng said.

She added it is difficult for the organizers of such events to control the gender balance of the participants. And they have a hard time verifying the identities of the participants.

In the world of professional matchmaking, background checks can be crucial. A male member of Leng's agency, surnamed Li, said he had met his dream lover at one of the large-scale events.

"However, Li, who was single, found out that his lover was actually a divorced mother with a son. Li's heart was broken by lies," said Leng.

Leng said that although many white-collar workers have excellent jobs and decent incomes, they have little time to get to know new people, which can add stress to their lives.

"My friends and I set up our company for this very reason. I hope more forces in Shanghai team up to help single white-collar workers find their better halves," she said.

                                                                        (China Daily 01/30/2007 page5)

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