Desperate and dateless,men learn new tricks

BEIJING - Finding one's better half can be a tricky business in modern China, with hectic work schedules, nagging parents and a gender imbalance conspiring to make selecting a partner a nightmare for single men.

According to the "2010 China Marriage and Relationship Survey Report", released on Monday, 260 million Chinese are looking for love - 180 million singles and 80 million concerned parents.

Eager singles swamped matchmaking events held in Beijing during the Chinese New Year holidays, with an estimated 50,000 people attending a week-long event in the capital's Ditan Park, according to organizer Jiayuan.com, a popular matchmaking website with more than 40 million registered members.