Chinese cities open marriage registrations for Qixi Festival this weekend

Eight newlywed couples attend a Tang Dynasty (618-907)-style wedding ceremony organized by the Civil Affairs Bureau of Xicheng District in Beijing on May 20, 2024. This includes throwing an embroidered ball. In recent years, more and more Chinese newlyweds are opting for traditional Chinese wedding ceremonies. Photo: VCG

Several Chinese cities have announced that they will work overtime on Qixi Festival, Chinese Valentine's Day, which falls on a Saturday this year, to accommodate more couples who want to register their marriage on this auspicious day. To this end, some initiatives have been introduced, such as offering special gift packages and organizing group wedding ceremonies.

Some of the registry offices, including those in Suzhou in east China's Jiangsu province and Shanghai, have already booked up their online reservation slots. Civil authorities in Suzhou said couples can also queue up on site to complete the relevant formalities.

Local civil authorities encourage registry offices to meet the public's needs and provide relevant services, but there are no specific mandatory regulations, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Monday in response to a netizen's question about whether a marriage can be registered on this year's Qixi Festival, which falls on a Saturday.

The start of work by local civil affairs authorities on Saturday reflects a responsive attitude and shows the “continuous improvement” of grassroots government in meeting the demands of modern society, Song Jian, a demographer at the Center for Population and Development Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The move will also promote traditional culture and add ceremonial character to marriages, promoting marital stability and family harmony, Jiang Quanbao, a professor at the Institute of Population and Development Studies at Xi'an Jiaotong University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

At the same time, cultural activities around Qixi will be launched in many places across the country, driving the continuous improvement of the consumption market. In Xiaogan, central China's Hubei Province, the themed activities will include Hanfu shows, light shows and joint weddings.

Pre-orders for flowers for the Qixi Festival have begun. “Our orders have doubled compared to normal days,” a Shanghai-based flower shop owner surnamed Yao told the Global Times on Thursday. “We will be open 24 hours a day on Qixi and ensure that flowers are delivered on time,” Yao said.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 3.43 million couples registered their marriages in China in the first half of this year, 498,000 fewer than in the same period last year.

The government has implemented policies to promote the birth rate, such as universal childcare. These policies aim to create a positive atmosphere for marriage, encourage young people to marry at the right time and promote correct views on marriage and family, reduce anxiety, ease pressure and create a marriage- and fertility-friendly society, Jiang said.