Wanted: A Shanghai Husband

I'm beginning to think that every country has its own special brand of tourism humor.

Just like every tour operator in Costa Rica tells you that it's the bus driver's first day on the job, every tour guide in China (every one that I met, anyway...) jokes that the best souvenir to bring home with you is a Shanghai husband.

Shanghai husbands are notorious for treating their wives very, very well.

When dating, a future Shanghai husband has to be very attentive. They often go shopping, carry their girlfriends' purse and anything she buys, and plan excellent dates.

Before they are even "eligible" to propose, a Shanghai husband must own a car and an apartment or condominium. This is no small feat since apartments are expensive and you usually need to have 30% down before securing a mortgage in China.

Then, when they do get married, these men usually do all the cooking, dishes and laundry in addition to being the main bread-winner for the family. Wow!

Why is this the case? The main reason is that China's One-Child policy (which began in 1979) caused a gender imbalance - leaving many men to choose from a limited pool of potential wives. This gave power to the girls who can be more choosy and demanding than ever before when selecting a boyfriend or husband. So, now, if men in China want to get married they have to meet ever increasing requirements from their future wives. Poor guys!

(The above photo is of Haibao - the mascot for the 2010 World Expo Shanghai. Of course, he must be a Shanghai husband in training.)