A BLIND date for tens of thousands. To a Westerner, this feels like something on the verge of insanity, given the average American’s aversion to even a single blind date.

And yet somehow it mostly seemed to work on Saturday at Shanghai Love and Marriage Fair. Despite the huge number of young men and women attending the weekend event, it all appeared to run smoothly. Participants gathered to meet as anxious mothers and fathers waited in the wings to find out whether their son or daughter had, just maybe, met that perfect match — or at least someone they might want to date.

Information cards containing certain data about participants — their occupation and salary, education level, height and whether or not they had hukou (permanent residence permit) — graced the walls all over the cavernous venue. There were some complaints, however, about lack of personal phone numbers and the fact that dating agencies charged big money to those wanting to gain additional information.