Local authorities in China are setting up marriage registration counters in unusual places, such as maternity hospitals, banks, and nightclubs, to make the marriage process as quick and accessible as possible, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
The latest addition to this unusual push arrived during the Qixi Festival, when the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shandong province’s Linzi District announced that couples could now legally tie the knot right on-site. They can also receive pre-conception counselling without ever leaving the building. This hospital initiative follows similar registries established nationwide. Elsewhere, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport began issuing marriage certificates alongside scenic plane-watching perks, while a nightclub in Shanghai teamed up with local civil affairs officials to host certification ceremonies complete with electronic music festival giveaways. Couples can even tie the knot at metro stations, public parks, and historic temples. The country faces a steep decline in birth rates and a shrinking workforce, which is why Chinese officials are doing everything possible to encourage young people to form families. The issue also became a topic of discussion on social media.
Because of a serious demographic crisis, the authorities have taken such steps. Because they can’t find a place to register, as quoted in the report, one user asked, “Do people not get married. recent data shows that marriage registrations dropped by another 7.5% in the first half of this year While simplifying the paperwork sparked a temporary surge in marriages late last year.
The setup creates a “one-stop shop” where newlyweds can register their marriage and undergo premarital health checks, according to hospital administrators. A branch of the Postal Savings Bank of China in Tianjin last month became the country’s first bank to provide marriage registration services, according to the report. “I suggest the civil affairs bureau establish divorce services on top of Mount Everest,” another joked. “What holds young people back from marriage is not complicated procedures, but the confidence to face the life challenges they may encounter in the coming decades,” a third user shared their perspective, as mentioned in the report.
