Archive · 7 Nov 2025
China Promotes Unique Wedding Venues to Boost Marriage Rates
Imagine you want to get married in China.
Before, you had to get married in your hometown.
Now, the government is letting you get married almost anywhere you want!
So, some couples are choosing to get married in cool places like mountains, by lakes, or even in a subway station or a nightclub.
This is part of a plan to encourage more people to get married because fewer people have been getting married lately, which means fewer babies are being born.
For a while, it seems to be working, as more couples are registering their marriages.
However, some people think this might only help for a short time because fewer women will be of marrying age in the future, and many young people are focusing on education and careers instead.
China is enabling couples to register marriages in unique locations nationwide, moving away from strict residency requirements.
Local governments are establishing marriage registration offices in scenic spots, music festivals, subway stations, and nightclubs to attract couples.
This initiative has contributed to a 22.5% increase in marriages in the third quarter of 2025, reversing a decade-long downtrend.
Symbolic locations like Sayram Lake are being promoted using numbers that sound like romantic phrases in Chinese.
Experts suggest the rise in marriages may be short-lived due to declining birth rates and young people prioritizing education and financial stability over early marriage.
- Who
- Chinese couples, local governments, and demographers
- What
- China is allowing couples to get married in unconventional locations and is setting up registration offices in scenic spots and public venues to encourage marriage, leading to a rise in registered marriages.
- When
- The policy change began in May, with marriage numbers rising in the third quarter of 2025.
- Where
- Across China, including scenic spots like Sayram Lake and Xiling Snow Mountain, and public venues like subway stations, nightclubs, and temples in cities such as Nanjing, Chengdu, Hefei, Shanghai, and Beijing.
- Why
- To boost marriage rates, address the country's demographic crisis and declining birth rate, and make the process more convenient and special for couples.
- Marriages in Q3 2025
- 1.61 million (+22.5% year-on-year)
- Marriages in 2023
- 6.1 million (-20.5% year-on-year)
- Sayram Lake Altitude
- 2,073 meters
- Xiling Snow Mountain Altitude
- Over 3,000 meters
- Policy Change
- Couples can marry anywhere in China, not just place of residence