marriage

China Plans to Make It Simpler for Couples to Marry

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 draft regulations would reduce the number of documents couples need to provide to tie the knot, as the country seeks to boost its falling marriage rate.

Ding Rui

University Offers China’s First Marriage-Related Degree

The new program is being launched in response to the government’s push to “construct harmonious families.”

Chinese Women Are Sick of Dowries. Why Are They Still Common?

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

VOICES & OPINION

At least in urban areas, brides tend to treat dowries like a feudal relic. Their moms see things differently.

Ji Yingchun

Love and Money: The Dating Scene for China’s Millionaires

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

SIXTH TONE ×

A dating platform has found success organizing events for high-net-worth individuals in Beijing, but questions linger over the age limits and beauty standards set for women.

Oh! Youth (36Kr)

China Has a Solution for Misleading Tinder Profiles: ‘Dating Analysts’

It’s no secret people often lie on their online dating profiles. In China, professional “dating analysts” help clients work out what their matches are trying to hide.

Li Xin

Ding Xiaoyan

What’s Wrong With Traditional Weddings? Everything, Say Young Chinese.

Young couples are increasingly rejecting every aspect of traditional Chinese weddings — from lavish ceremonies to bridal hazing rituals.

Fan Yiying

Are Young Chinese Falling Out of Love With Love?

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

MULTIMEDIA

In the wake of China’s Internet Valentine’s Day, young Chinese continue to question whether marriage is right for them.

The Paper

The Chinese Factory Tearing Love to Shreds

A business in North China is helping heartbroken lovers move on by shredding their wedding photos and other mementos — and using the waste to supply a biofuel plant.

Hong Weilin

Love on the Air: In China, Blind Dating Finds a Digital Stage

As more young Chinese turn to social media to build relationships, blind dates on livestreaming channels are surging in popularity. Offering serious matchmaking and casual socializing, such channels are attracting thousands of hopeful singles each day.

He Qitong

Bachelor Boom: What’s Keeping Rural Chinese Men Single?

Despite government efforts, rural single men are still grappling with a persistent gender imbalance, expensive marriage customs, and rapid urbanization, complicating their search for a spouse.

Chinese Court Denies Father’s Claim to Children’s ‘Lucky Money’

Ruling on a divorce case, the court split all marital assets equally but rejected the father’s bid for money previously gifted to his children, emphasizing that such assets belong to them.

Uptick in Marriages After Years of Decline Sparks Hope in China

While nationwide data is yet to be released, Shanghai and multiple cities in Jiangsu, Hunan, Shanxi, and Anhui provinces have reported increased marriage rates in 2023.

Ye Zhanhang

Guangdong Villages Seek Matchmakers’ Help to Marry Off Single Men 

A widening gender imbalance and soaring marriage costs have left many rural Chinese men unable to marry.

Refunds Allowed! China’s Top Court Clarifies When ‘Bride Prices’ Should be Returned

The custom of paying money to a bride’s family as a condition for marriage is a longstanding one in China, but rising prices and high-profile disputes have made it a focus of both the courts and local officials.

Add to Heart: Single Seniors Looking for Love at IKEA

The Swedish furniture store’s restaurants have become popular spots in Shanghai for single senior citizens, matchmakers, and elderly residents just looking to pass the time.

White Night Workshop

E-Invites to Bike Rides, Weddings in China Get a Green Makeover

Amid increased awareness among the youth about climate change, carbon-neutral weddings, which promote eco-friendly products, cost money, and recycling, are gaining traction and popularity.

Wuhan University Offers Shared Rooms for Married Students

The announcement has received lots of social media attention, but a university staff member told Sixth Tone that the policy is still in its planning stages.

Plea for Marriage Rules Reform Sparks Debate on Parental Consent

Amid a declining marriage rate, netizens argue that China’s regulations infringe upon individuals’ freedom to choose their partners.

In China, ‘Reverse Parenting’ Is Turning the Tables on Unruly Kids

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

The post-’90s new generation of Chinese parents is shunning traditional parenting methods. Instead, they are turning to a more radical, and untested, approach to discipline, where parents mirror their children’s behavior.

Wang Lianzhang

Chinese University Streamlines Student Marriages, Sparks Debate

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.