The Matchmaker, or Yue Lao (literally means the old man in the moon), is the god who unites persons in marriage in a Chinese legend that originated in the Tang Dynasty.

The figure became a widely known image of immortal later. As the legend goes, the matchmaker holds a book in his hands called “the book of fate”, on which the marriage of all people are recorded. Also in his hands there is a red strand, and once he ties a man and a woman on their feet with the strand, the two will surely become a couple even if they were once irreconcilable enemies or strangers far away from each other.

There is a folk custom in China to make statues of the matchmaker and build temple to pray for blessings. There are many Matchmaker Temples in China, in which people can burn joss sticks, draw straws and vow to the god for their marriage.

Source: traditions.cultural-china.com