Changing social conditions and norms are making it increasingly difficult for the young people to find a life partner through traditional channels and more and more solitary souls are turning to online dating services in search of a soul mate. In a series of articles, sino-us.com presents the real-life experience of one such man looking for love online.    

Yes, I’m single. And I ‘m serious about what I’m going to do – I’m trying to look for my Ms Right through online dating services.

I’m 31-year-old, an age when a man should have a kid tottering at home in my grandma’s point of view.

But millions of people of my age are struggling to find a girlfriend given a stunning nationwide gender imbalance and an ever-changing attitude toward dating and marriage.

In China, there are about 250 million unmarried people over 18 years old (equivalent to the population of Indonesia), according to a report jointly issued by the National Population and Family Planning Commission and a leading online dating service in December.

What’s worse, for the 11.96 million unmarried men aged between 30 and 39, there are only 5.8 million single women in the same age group. The yawning gap forces the 30+ men to turn to younger women, which then puts the younger men at a disadvantage in finding a soul mate, the report says.

Growing work pressure and demanding mothers-in-law, who have extremely high expectations for their daughters’ potential husband -- owning a car and an apartment has become a prerequisite -- have forced these single men to marry at older ages.

Against all these odds, I’ve made up my mind to embark on an adventure into the matchmaking websites, which are the most popular and active social communities and are said to have helped millions of people find their partners.

Is the online service reliable? Could I meet the one I like? How can I protect myself from being swindled?

I personally have not found the answer yet. I will document my joy, embarrassment, romance, anger and whatever I encounter along the way. I will eventually have answers to these questions, though one must remember that there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to love.

I must also mention that I am not a philanderer and I am not looking for a casual date just for some fun.

It’s all about a single man’s conscientious quest for love.

Web of Love Ⅱ Traversing an intriguing terrain http://www.sino-us.com/207/3-Traversing-an-intriguing-terrain.html