As many as one million Beijingers seeking spouses have registered at matrimonial agencies, the Capital City of China.

The city now has more than 500 such agencies..

Although the Internet, cell phones, and modern transportation have made quick and convenient communication possible, many people complain that their social life is actually very limited because of the pressures of work and their busy daily schedule.

"Matrimonial agencies can give people more opportunities and save time," one young man was quoted as saying.

Matrimonial agencies have become one of the major ways people of all ages attempt to find marriage partners in Beijing, a city of 14 million people.

The Chinese used to rely on matchmakers and their parents' choices to arrange marriages, but after the founding of the People 's Republic in 1949, they began to have more freedom to make marriage decisions for themselves.