Over the course of Unit 3, I spent a lot of time in the marriage markets in Chengdu and Shanghai, two of the most developed cities in China. There I was able to observe the approaches adopted by the parents in attempt to matchmake their children. I also got to see how the matchmaking agents operate in these markets and the overall atmosphere of the markets. The aim of this project was to understand and empathise with the people in these markets and to engage with these social issues, to be in their shoes. I wanted to show how cultural traditions and historical factors like poverty coupled with evolving marriage notions influence the language used in the ads and reveal the issues with Chinese society and how it affects modern marriages.