While looking for a life partner, Chinese women nowadays pay more attention to how thoughtful and secure men are, which is a change from the earlier trend of women falling for prospective husbands' good looks and wealth, says an article on gmw.cn. Excerpts:

It is said that a woman is a man's best judge. But women's criteria for a life partner seem to change with the passing times. Reports suggest that Chinese women now like "economically affordable men" more than before and don't necessarily want their future husbands to be exceptionally handsome or outstanding in other ways.

Many Chinese women nowadays require their prospective husbands to have a job with a decent salary, which would allow them to pay for their living expenses in cities. They also want their husbands to accord top priority to them, and keep away from tobacco and liquor, and of course other women.

Perhaps TV dramas have influenced women's preference for "economically affordable men", because almost all soaps on couples show that women married to such men live happily ever after.

Art may be inspired by life but goes beyond it. These TV dramas reflect the concept and meaning of marriage in Chinese society. For many women, the most important thing in a marriage is the sense of security that men can give them. And this sense of security does not necessarily come from good-looking and very wealthy men.