Hong Kong’s matchmakers urge government not to play Cupid, leave it to them to help singles
- Private operators say they already offer plenty of events for singles, while some participants voice scepticism over any government effort
Amanda Wong, a healthcare professional in Hong Kong in her thirties, might not be in a relationship with Keith Lun if she had not been exhausted and fallen asleep after showing up for a drawing class for singles.
Having just completed an overnight shift, Wong missed out on the drawing portion of the social gathering, but woke up in time to join a karaoke session in the class later.
“This funny antic really grabbed my attention,” Lun, also in his thirties, recalled. “I was thinking why would someone come here to sleep? Half an hour later, she was waving glow sticks as I sang in a karaoke session.”
He asked for her contact details and the pair bonded through hours of online chatting and some outdoor dates. Eventually, they decided to move in together and have now been together for two years.
The tale of Wong and Lun’s encounter may have been what Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau had in mind when he floated the idea of organising events to get more young people to get married sooner on Thursday, citing matchmaking corners such as those in mainland China.
But Hong Kong operators of matchmaking interest classes said the private market already offered plenty of events for singles, with the industry and participants doubtful about the government’s ability to organise them.
