CRI听力: Blind Dating Bump before the Mid-Autumn

Anchor: The Mid-Autumn festival is approaching. Aside from the booming moon cake sales, blind dates are also gaining in popularity ahead of the traditional festival for family reunions. Matchmaking websites are seizing this opportunity to help single people find their other-half.

200 single men and women are making moon cakes in a blind date event held by a matchmaking website. The participants hope to start a new stage in life by finding their Mr. Right or Ms. Right.

In order to show off their personalities, these men and women are making moon cakes in various shapes, one like a bird, another shaped like a heart. There are even moon cakes shaped into dumplings.

After finishing their moon cakes, the participants have the chance to send their creation to the man or woman who captured their heart.

One woman has to make a choice between two pursuers. In the end, she chooses the one who is more talkative.

This talkative Mr. Right says he doesn't have that many friends, so he has had little chance to make acquaintances with female friends.

Those who find Mr. or Miss Right will be treated to free candlelight dinner provided by the event's organizer. Zhang Ying from the matchmaking website explains:

"When the Mid-Autumn festival comes, people will become more sentimental about home. These single men and women hope to find someone special and spend the holiday together."

Another blind date event uses the theme of Teachers' Day. All the participants are single teachers. Despite the 150 yuan entrance fee, there are constantly new, eligible teachers arriving at the event.

Here is one participant.

"A woman who is a teacher will be an ideal match for me I think. I would feel stable in a marriage whenever I think of having such a wife at home."

Another participant says she is very busy at work, and she can hardly spare time to develop her social life.

Matchmaking websites are increasingly taking advantage of festivals to organize events for their members. Zhao Jie is from a matchmaking website.

He says the festive atmosphere encourages these single men and women to be more active and sociable at the event. And, participants usually have more free time during festivals.

His peer Zhang Ying says the positioning of the events is crucial. If most participants work in the same field, they will have more in common.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.