For Shanghai¡¯s lonely and retired, love is elusive. Divorced or widowed residents gather in a dating corner in People¡¯s Park every weekend looking for a chat. They mill about an Ikea canteen on Tuesdays in search of some fun.

They arrive dressed a little nicer than usual, ready to talk about their virtues, their past lives and the future.

"I¡¯m simple. I don¡¯t smoke cigarettes or play mahjong,¡± said Xu Xiaoduo, 70, a twice-divorced former primary-school teacher who volunteers details about his pension (around $1,250 a month) and his dancing abilities (very good).