A single comment made by a Chinese matchmaker identified as Wang has sparked a sweeping debate on societal values across mainland China’s social media platforms. Wang, hailing from the eastern Zhejiang province, rose to internet fame after expressing her distinctive views on marriage and children during a conversation with vlogger Xiaoluo, reported by Hangzhou Daily.
To define an excellent person, Wang emphasized the importance of family and children, instead of financial success or personal achievements. This led her to draw a comparison between a person with a modest monthly income of 5,000 yuan and a wealthy individual boasting a net worth of 500 million yuan. Wang argued, “the wealthy person is not as good as my son. My son has offspring, which means that our country has a future,” yet she did not offer further elaboration on her broad claims.
After Xiaoluo shared the video, which subsequently went viral in China, Wang found herself facing backlash over her traditional perspective of valuing marriage and children. Overwhelmed by the torrent of criticism, Wang requested a follow-up interview to clarify her stance.
Apologizing for sharing the initial video without Wang’s explicit consent, Xiaoluo agreed to record a second video, allowing Wang to elucidate her views. Wang, an experienced matchmaker of over 30 years, reiterated her belief, insisting that a less affluent person with a family could experience greater happiness than a rich single individual.
Supporting her argument, Wang recounted an example of a single woman from the 1980s who prioritized youth over wealth in her search for an ideal partner. Building upon this example, Wang challenged societal perceptions of happiness, contrasting parents picking up children from school with those driving luxury cars in pursuit of youth and beauty.
The debate has captivated the Chinese online community, generating over 45,000 comments on Douyin alone. While some echoed Wang’s sentiments on the importance of the next generation over material wealth, others defended the right to personal happiness outside the context of family or children.
The discourse illuminates the pervasive pressure in mainland China for young people to marry and start families promptly, a culturally accepted norm that is facing challenges with changing societal attitudes. The declining marriage and birth rates reflect an evolving China, with the annual marriage rate dropping from 0.77 per cent in 2017 to 0.54 per cent in 2021, as per the 2021 Civil Affairs Statistical Bulletin.
In 2020, China recorded only 8.13 million weddings, a 12 per cent drop from the previous year and marking a seven-year consecutive decline. Amidst these trends, Wang’s comment triggers a vital discourse about the evolving definitions of happiness, wealth, and family in modern China.
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