marriage

Chinese University Streamlines Student Marriages, Sparks Debate

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

The university offered students priority access for marriage registrations on May 20, a date known for its phonetic resemblance to “I love you” in Chinese.

Ye Zhanhang

The End of the Email-Order Bride?

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

Chinese women who sign up for transnational dating agencies increasingly privilege class and bearing over race and ethnicity.

Monica Liu

Divorce Mediation Helping Couples Stay Together, White Paper Says

A district court in Harbin says over half the divorce cases since 2016 were dissolved after mediation.

Yang Caini

Chinese City Creates Single Residents’ Database for Matchmaking

Several cities in Jiangxi province are actively playing the role of Cupid to improve the country’s falling marriage and birth rates.

More Women Want Career Over Marriage, Having Kids: New Survey

Zhilian Zhaopin survey also finds that the pay gap between men and women has shrunk by half over the last four years.

Cops Rescued Minor Forced Into Marriage, Then Sent Her Back Home

‘Sold’ by her family for 260,000 yuan, the teenager had managed to escape twice. Her plight sparked an outcry online.

Li Xin

Taking it Slow: China’s Gen Z in No Hurry to Walk Down the Aisle

New data shows the average age for marriage in 2022 in several provinces was nearly 30. In 2010, it was 24.

As Marriage Costs Soar, Fujian Residents Want More Regulation 

In a complaint to authorities, a resident claimed that the average cost of betrothal gifts was 780,000 yuan ($115,000).

The Reality Show Tackling China’s Divorce Crisis

The second season of “See You Again” has won over audiences with frank depictions of marital problems and relationship counseling. Is couples therapy finally having a moment in China?

Liu Haiping

After Falling Births, China’s Marriage Rate Sees New Low — Again

The number of people registering for marriage last year is the lowest in nearly three decades.

‘Marriage? Whatever’: Young Chinese on Love, Life, and Family

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

Luo Yahan

Lü Xiao

Xie Anran

Bridesmaids Go Professional

If you’re single, shorter than the typical bride, and enjoy frequent travel, there’s a growth industry looking to hire.

Fan Yiying

Gu Peng

Divorcing Couples Struggle to Find Appointments in Shanghai 

Many local civil affairs bureaus are already booked for a month, partly due to pre-lockdown application backlogs.

Luo Meihan

Shanghai Lockdown Disrupts Wedding Plans on Day for Lovers 

With marriage registration offices largely shut, thousands of couples had to postpone their weddings scheduled for the special day.

Zhang Wanqing

A Disabled Chinese Poet’s Wedding Plan Invites Cheers and Jeers

Yu Xiuhua shared pictures from her bridal photo shoot years after writing about marriage, divorce, and her quest to find love.

Wu Peiyue

‘Graduate First’: Students Respond to Child Care Benefit Proposal

A delegate from China’s top legislature proposed special provisions for graduate and doctoral students wanting to start a family.

Ni Dandan

Zhu Jingyi

State Media Says Gen Z Ready for Marriage. They Say, Not Really. 

Marriage registrations hit a 17-year low in 2020, as fewer people tied the knot.

Zhu Ruiying

Without Apps or Algorithms, a Rural Matchmaker Thrives

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

A rare male matchmaker in rural Shaanxi for almost 20 years, Zhang Guoqing reminisces on three couples he brought together.

Zhang Guoqing

A Celebrity Dispute Turns Into Advocacy for Female Empowerment

Ex-wife of pop idol Wang Leehom shared her experiences from their marriage before separating, warning about the harms of “unequal relationships.”

Want a Divorce? In China, Try, Try Again

In 2004, while conducting fieldwork in Guangdong, legal scholar He Xin learned that that Chinese judges had an unofficial policy of always rejecting a person’s first divorce petition. He spent the next decade trying to figure out why.