Much ado about shengnu

Batches of bachelors

Leftover women or an unappreciated feast?

Yang has a post-graduate degree from Peking University, one of the country's most elite schools, and does marketing for a multinational.

Her parents insist her heartthrob "isn't good enough", she explains.

She believes it's easier for "brainless beauties or those who pretend to be without much gray matter" to nab husbands.

Yvonne Oh (not her real name) also feels pressure to tie the knot.

The 31-year-old general manager of a foreign organization enjoys a fulfilling career and active social life in Beijing. But her family and friends have decided - make that decided for her - that she's not happy.

"Some people, including my family and friends, think I'm unhappy being single. But that's not the case," she says.

"I lead a full life and occupy my spare time by reading the books I like, hanging out with friends and going for short trips. What's important is that my time is very flexible."

Beijing-based author Roseann Lake, who has written much about shengnu, explains that if a Chinese woman wants to "ensure" she gets married, numbers seem to indicate that she simply has to wait around long enough.

"China actually has one of the highest female marriage rates in the world. This 'wait around' approach isn't one I'd recommend, however," she says.

"Every woman has an internal 'happy compass' of what she knows will and will not be conducive to her well-being. She needs to listen to it and respond accordingly.

"I also think it's advisable to disregard any lengthy lists of what prospective mates must and must not have."

Related: Who's who and how they woo