NANJING: When it comes to matchmaking today, face-to-face communication might no longer be popular.

Pairs of single men and women hold a 8-minute-talk face to face during a matchmaking activity in Shanghai's Zhongshan Park on October 22, 2005. [newsphoto]

TV programmes and media advertisements can already expose a person in search of love to thousands of other singles.

Here in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province, adults have another way to find their match.

A website run by the city's most popular newspaper, Contemporary Express (www.lifenanjing.com.cn), provides an hour-long Internet video show featuring several people once a week.

More than 25 people have shown up in the video programme since it began airing in April every Friday night.

"We draw inspiration in running the programme from love forums on our website. More and more people are talking on the Internet about their loneliness and their lack of friends due to their busy work schedules," said Mu Zi, who works for the website.

"So we came up with the idea to connect netizens who suffer the same problems of loneliness but don't want to get involved in old-fashioned matchmaking get-togethers."

To Mu's astonishment, the Internet show has attracted many applicants. Mu and his partners had initially feared that few people would be interested.

"The reason is partly because most of our target audience are white-collar netizens who earn good salaries in Nanjing. People are willing to pick up friends or soul mates among those who share the same interests and life experiences," said Mu.

Mu said a girl who attended the programme last month has already found a boyfriend among those who contacted her after the show.

Meanwhile, others are content just to connect with more friends.

"Although I haven't found a boyfriend so far, my circle of friends has grown. And I am no longer lonely these days," said a netizen surnamed Lonely Fish, who appeared in the Internet programme this month.

In addition to advertising for new friends, people can also use the show as a platform on which to confess their love to someone or say sorry for wrongdoings to their sweethearts, which they feel is hard to do face to face with their lovers.

"I find people on the show are generally honest and true to themselves. I hope someday to be a guest there myself, but that requires courage," said Wang Yan, a loyal fan of the Internet programme.

Wei Guihong, a psychologist in Nanjing, said she has mixed feelings about the phenomenon of the programme becoming a hit with today's singles.

"I think it is a good platform for communication. It is good that people are making efforts to solve their interpersonal problems and to drive away the feelings of being lonely," said Wei. "But we have to be cautious. Mutual understanding between two people needs time and one is advised not to fall in love too soon."

Wei suggests that instead of searching for friends in cyberspace, people can use the same amount of courage and time to communicate with people around them.

"Sometimes, you may find that the one you have searched a long time for is the one right beside you."