MOST of them are respected professionals with a good educational background. Most are pretty. But they have been hit by the marriage blues - remaining single longer than they have expected.
Most of these women in China are approaching or have passed 30.
Pressured by their parents, many are now turning to various matchmaking activities to get off the shelf.
In a feature published last week, The New Paper on Sunday reported that well-educated and successful men who boast personal assets worth at least $390,000 (2 million yuan) each have signed up with Noble Single, an exclusive matchmaking portal only for the elite.
Some of the millionaire members fork out as much as $11,350 for one dating event.
In the case of these single women, it is better to eat humble pie and seek help to find potential partners than risk meeting the wrong people, said the women.
Miss Lui Gong Li, 37, told TheNew Paper on Sunday: 'Nowadays, people have a personal matchmaker in the same way they would have a personal trainer.'
In the photo that Miss Lui e-mailed us, the entrepreneur, who runs a disc-manufacturing business, is tall, slim and pretty.
Fed up with having to meet unsuitable partners, she joined matchmaking website Noble Single last year to find her ideal partner.
Said Miss Lui, who claims that she graduated from a university in the UK: 'Within two months, I had received more than 100 'proposals' from interested men.'
She shortlisted the five most ideal ones based on their introduction letters and corresponded with them before deciding on one a month later.
'I'd made my judgement from their writing, which indicated their level of maturity and intelligence,' she added.
Miss Lui and her architect boyfriend have been dating for six months.
She said: 'While no one can tell what the future holds, at this time, I'm certain that he's the one for me.
'There is no lack of suitors in my life, but I've always felt that the X-factor was missing.'
It was important to her, too, that they were of compatible social status.
She said: 'It's like you must be standing on the same spot on the mountain to be able to enjoy the same breathtaking view.'
FOR NETWORKING TOO
Miss Michelle Mi, 29, joined Noble Single's activities to extend her network both socially and professionally.
She recently attended Noble's exclusive Masquerade Ball.
Said the financial analyst, who earns about $3,900 a month: 'I have been too busy and I don't have time to meet the right men.
'Not only will this give me a chance to find my lifetime partner, I may also meet some potential clients.'
Noble Single's much-hyped events have led to controversial reports that the women in the service were being treated as mere objects or that they were out to snare a rich husband.
Said a member, who wanted to be known only as Miss Che: 'It is really unfair to jump to the conclusion that we are gold-diggers.
Said the 29-year-old nurse: 'I have a decent job and I don't have to worry about living expenses.
'Everyone would like to have a rich friend. It's how you view that wealth that is important.'
And not all millionaire men are desirable, said Miss Liu Pei Fang, 26, who went on a 'Love Cruise' last year.
She said: 'I was so bored at the party. These men obviously had too many women to ogle at.'
So she was surprised when the consultant contacted her twodays later, saying that a member had expressed interest in dating her.
It turned out to be a 'horrifying date,' she said, adding that the man had a pot belly and wore an ill-fitting suit.
She also said he had gobbled hisfood.
'I was screaming inside,' she recalled.
Said Miss Liu: 'The consultant realised I was freaking out and helped by cutting short the date with an excuse.'
She has since gone on two dates and is now dating a regional marketing director.
'Billionaire or not, I just refuse to be known as a 'disgusting fat man's wife',' she claimed.
STILL HOPING
Another woman who has joined the dating service is a 29-year-old economics graduate who wanted to be known only as MissSisi.
The eldest of 10 children had borrowed money to pay for one of theevents.
On why joining a dating network was important to her, she said: 'How can you be sure that love does not exist? And how can I meet that someone if I've not been given a chance first?
'I don't consider myself a gold-digger. Marriage is still sacred for me.'
She did not want to reveal which event she had attended for fear of jeopardising her chances.
She had also supplied false information on her application form.
She stated that her mother is a teacher, but her mum is actually a farmer in their hometown.
But she defended herself, saying: 'I meet the stipulated criteria of being pretty, educated and intelligent.
'So what if I fudge the details of my family members?'
She added: 'I don't think you can say I'm cheating. In some ways, it is still true. I've been living with my aunt, who is a teacher, for the past 10 years.'
Miss Sisi is now dating the owner of a trading firm, who is 12 years older.
He has yet to learn of her real background, but she is confident that his level of maturity and their love will overcome all obstacles.
Said Miss Sisi: 'I can feel that he is infatuated with me... and I can feel I'm falling in love with him too.'
We screen rigorously, agency claims
NOBLE Single's hopefuls - both men and women - have to go through a rigorous screening process before they are picked, said its marketing director, Mr Jasper Tan.
He told The New Paper on Sunday: 'We have a team of professionally trained consultants - or 'loveheadhunters'. They conduct checks on all applicants, both men and women.'
Mr Tan said the men have to provide full personal details including their identification andbank account numbers, and company or work records.
'Check after check is done to ensure they have not lied,' he said.
Before becoming members, the 60,000women members, too, have to go through family background checks.
They are also put through psychology tests and personality analysis.
There are two categories of women: Paying members, and those who have been invited to join.
The paying women members have sound financial backgrounds and are likely to have been educatedoverseas.
They are searching for a partner with the same social status, said Mr Tan.
He added: 'Then we have a percentage of 'headhunted candidates' who are invited members.
'Spotted, scouted and selected by our consultants through various channels, this percentage of women have the looks, are intelligent and come from 'quality-breeding'.'
The average age of the women is 25 and their jobs include senior management positions and board directors, as well as professionals such as teachers and nurses.
There are even TV personalities among them.
Mr Tan declined to give a breakdown in the numbers of members in both categories.
Beijing University's sociology professor Xia Xue Luan said: 'Love is like a transaction in this kind of marriages.
'Building the family nuclei is no longer the priority. The question to ask is, can the marriage sustain on a love likethis?'
But social behavioural analyst Fu Tan Ming of China told The New Paper on Sunday: 'There is nothing wrong with (this service).
'If there is a market for millionaires who genuinely want to find a spouse, why can't we accept it?'
In recent years, added MrFu, studies have shown that more white-collar professionals aged between 25 and 40 find it hard to meet their ideal partner.
Mr Feon Jiang, who runs a matchmaking website in Guangzhou, told The New Paper on Sunday: 'Business has boomed in the past two years. It has gone up by as much as 40 per cent for us.'
