http://thedarkside.hk/2010/12/03/city-of-spinsters/

City of spinsters

Single? Female? Hong Kong resident? Congratulations, you’re officially a spinster, or at least that’s what the government would have you believe.

The Immigration Department’s application for marriage registration blithely invokes the designation under its marital status section, where single women – unless divorced, widowed, subjected to a prior annulment ruling, or sanctified by a Chinese rite ceremony – are left with little option but to select the ol’ “spinster” box.

And what exactly is a Spinster? Merriam Webster characterises them as women that are unlikely to marry, while the Oxford definition describes spinsters as older women beyond the typical age of wedlock. Although both dictionaries go on to describe the term to mean “single woman,” the negative connotations remain palpable, particularly when compared to the male side of the form, which allows for the much more dignified “bachelor” option.

So why exactly would our semi-elected officials choose to disparage single women? A snide remark about the increasingly mature age of female brides perhaps? Another loss in their ongoing battle with the English language? We’re guessing it’s a bit of both. And if you disagree, chances are you’re just an angry spinster.

I'm not a speaker of Mandarin but could this perhaps something that got lost in the translation from Chinese to English? As in the direct translation in Chinese for "spinster" does not carry the connotation that the word carries in English?

yes, I definitely think it's one of those lost in translation issues. I would have to assume that the government is not purposely going out of their way to disparage single women in hong kong but it's an amusing article nonetheless particularly for us english speakers

lol sucks to be a native Hong Kong chick . . . I know alot of Hong Kong guys end up marrying mainland chicks . . .

There is an increase of female Spinsters even though statistically there are more women than men because the living standards including human rights of female Chinese are increasing. They can now be found successful in businesses compared to before and that usually translates to an intolerant in marrying a man who is less successful than the woman. If woman were to marry before 30 in China, they are advised to lower their standards.

You're going to have to google a bit to find the source, because I read this article last year on the bbc.co.uk if i remember correctly, but it was an interesting read.

Actually I think I read it on an issue in HK Magazine. Hm..