Singles flock to Guangdong for dating festival

It may be a long way from Paris, but Jiangmen in southern China will hope to be another "city of romance" this month.

More than 1,000 singles from home and abroad — mostly overseas Chinese — are expected to descend on the city in Guangdong province for a massive matchmaking event from Nov 16 to 18.

Organized by the Jiangmen Women's Federation, the blind-date bonanza is part of the third Global Conference of the Cantonese and the 2017 Chinese (Jiangmen) Carnival, and will feature a program of cultural and entertainment events.

Jiangmen is home to many singles who have yet to find partners due to the pressures of working life, according to Zhou Huihong, one of the city's top Party officials.

"The event will offer a platform for these people to find a boyfriend or girlfriend, and it has great significance in building a harmonious society in Jiangmen, which is known as a city of overseas Chinese," she said.

She said more than 4 million overseas Chinese in 107 countries and regions can trace their roots back to the city, which is in the west of the Pearl River Delta. The number almost equals the city's current population.

More than 2,300 government officials, business representatives and guests from home and abroad are expected to attend the conference and carnival next week.