The 10 Types of Guys You See on Tinder in Shanghai

Admit it, you’ve been on Tinder before. Whether you were swiping for a friend or sitting bored on the toilet, judging people is fun. Tinder attracts people from all walks of life but in Shanghai there is a distinct pattern. Here are 10 types of guys you see on Tinder in Shanghai.

1. The Model

All of his profile photos are professionally taken, save for one bathroom selfie and another effortlessly participating in luxurious activities like lounging by the pool or toasting champagne. His bio lists the number of agencies he’s currently signed to and has his body stats listed out. You won’t have any interests in common, unless it’s that luxury brand you wish you could afford. Swipe right for further booking details.

2. The Backpacker

The backpacker is traveling through Southeast Asia and stopping by Shanghai for three nights only. His bio says where he’s going to be and when, so you know he’savailable for a limited time only. He frequents bars like Perry’s and Windows Scoreboard to drink tankards of Carlsberg and unwittingly hit on underage girls. 

3. The Rich Young Intern

He’s currently interning at a tech startup or finance company. He lives in the M1NT district of Shanghai and loves it. His profile includes pictures taken with his best friends Dom Perignon and Grey Goose. His maturity is reflected in his bio: “Just down to have fun.” If he’s still in college, a picture of him with his fraternity tank top and two sorority girls is mandatory.

4. The Cheerleader

He isn’t an actual cheerleader but he uses The Cheerleader Effect to make himself more attractive. All his profile pictures are group photos so you have no idea who you are actually swiping for. You will run into him in like The Camel and Shanghai Brewery where you’ll be asked to help him take a group photo.

5. The Entrepreneur

Imagine the young rich intern in ten years. He works at a startup, wears tailored suits, and frequently visits Bar Rouge. His pay grade and expensive taste is symbolized through the 90’s-boy-band-style picture of him posing next to a Maserati. He is “looking for someone to have a good time with.” Truth be told you'd don't even need to swipe his image; he'll probably corner you at a ladies night somewhere in person.

6. The Chinese Hipster

He is an art, fashion or photography student. He prefers wide shots of himself, and he always looks off in the distance pensively. A cloud of hookah smoke often artfully masks his face. He dresses like a K-Pop-star-meets-Japanese-farmer, and his bio consists of one to five deep, meaningful quotes that are often mispelled, or worse, misattributed. Catch him in cafes around town like Seesaw and Sumerian. He'll be the one ostentatiously reading a work by David Eggers or David Foster Wallace. 

7. The Lost Foreigner

He’s fresh off the plane and doesn’t speak much English. He’s been studying Chinese but isn’t fluent enough to order anything more than fried noodles and a beer. You can find him wandering the streets of Hongkou and Zhabei wondering how he got there. He is “looking for a local tour guide to show me around and have a good time with” because he is straight-up lost.

8. The Gym Bro

You aren’t sure what’s larger: his ego or his biceps. He is a fan of gym and elevator mirror selfies that perfectly cut off at the hips so he doesn’t have to admit to skipping leg day. He’s likely a private trainer at Will’s Fitness Club or Mr & Mrs Fitness. His bio rounds up his lifestyle with workout emojis and a motivational life quote, like “Strive for progress, not perfection.”

9. Kobe Bryant/Enrique Iglesias/Some other well known, good-looking celebrity

The catfisher’s profile is more a collage of his favorite things than a representation of his character. Apart from a picture of his favorite actor or athlete, he includes a movie meme, a Ferrari, and a headshot of a dog. His biography is mysterious as it is left blank. Then again, maybe it really is Cristiano Ronaldo, and he's looking for some company. Maybe you should swipe right.

 10. The Baller

The baller wears sunglasses inside the iAPM mall. He informs swipers that a date with him is an expensive meal on the Bund, say at 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana or Bo Shanghai, followed by drinks at the private table he booked at Bar Rouge. His T-shirt costs the same as dinner at Jean-Georges and his watch a meal at Ultraviolet. He’s also a businessman and sells his sneakers on Tinder. Superlike for the best price.

Key Words: Relationship in China, Tinder in China, Dating in Shanghai

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