With a top-end camera hanging from his shoulder, Gao Yongxiang was hunting through IFC, a landmark shopping mall located in the center of Shanghai's financial district. Although he appeared lost in thought, Gao was tracking the clusters of young women zigzagging from Bally to Valentino.

But Gao isn't a street-snap photographer. His job involves searching out potential wives for some of China's richest bachelors. The 25-year-old is one of China's premier "love hunters", a new breed of matchmaker who differentiate themselves from the more conventional end of the trade.

"It all matters - the girl's looks, her figure, temperament, height and weight," said Gao, adding that shopping malls, city center office buildings and college campuses are good places to hunt, depending on exactly what the client wants. "They can be very picky sometimes," he admitted.