The park for potential partners

There's an old Chinese saying: "Nothing is as touching as a parent's love".

My visit to Shanghai's matchmakers' market, a phenomenon probably only seen in China, convinced me that these silver-haired parents were giving the saying its full play.

In China, family and offspring are regarded as crucial sources of happiness. That means many parents are willing to endure struggles and cast dignity aside to arrange blind dates for their adult children. Attending the market can be embarrassing, though, so many wear hats and sunglasses in case they bump into acquaintances.