Couples in China are saying ‘I do’ in unconventional venues like banks, malls and metro stations
Amid efforts to reverse falling marriage rates, local governments are offering Chinese newlyweds unconventional venues to register their marriage.
Interior of the Postal Savings Bank of China (PSBC) branch in Tianjin city’s Hexi district, which offers marriage registration services. (Photo: WeChat/Tianjin City Hexi District Civil Affairs Bureau)
New: You can now listen to articles.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
TIANJIN: Would you say “I do” in a bank?
One local bank branch in Tianjin, China, is going beyond savings accounts – couples can now register their marriages there too, on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Dubbed China’s “first love-themed bank venue”, the Postal Savings Bank of China (PSBC) branch on Sishui Road in Hexi District aims to promote “simple and thrifty weddings” over “exorbitant bride prices and extravagant ceremonies”.
Located inside the bank, the marriage registration office is a departure from traditional government halls – designed as “an immersive and romantic registration space”, district officials said in a WeChat statement on Aug 6.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
At least two couples have registered their marriages there, officials added.
Hexi’s civil affairs bureau said it partnered with PSBC to provide marriage registration services, as well as free certificate presentation ceremonies.
“It’s very convenient,” said one couple who also worked at the bank, adding that the atmosphere was “romantic and warm” and the process felt “so ceremonial”.
But it isn’t the only unusual marriage venue in the country to make headlines. More than 5,600 couples registered their marriages at a metro station in Anhui province since a marriage registration office opened in the station on Jan 26, 2024.
In 2024, Xingfuba station in Hefei city became China’s first metro station to offer marriage registration services. The station’s name translates to “Dam of Happiness” in English – referring to a starting point for many couples’ married lives.
BOOSTING NATIONAL MARRIAGE RATES
China has been trying to boost falling marriage rates in recent years amid the national demographic crisis.
Annual marriage registrations have been on a downward trend, official data revealed – since peaking at 13.47 million in 2013. Around 3.28 million marriages were recorded in the first half of 2026, down 7.3 per cent from the same period in 2025, according to statistics by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Divorce rates have also risen to 1.38 million in the first half of 2026, up 4 per cent from the same period in 2025.
Chinese officials have pledged to provide measures like better housing support for married couples – and aim to foster positive attitudes towards marriage and ultimately starting families.
Since May 2025, Chinese couples have been allowed to register their marriages at any civil affairs office nationwide, ending a decades-long rule requiring couples to register their marriages in their hometowns.
Local governments have set up marriage registration offices at various locations and venues like popular scenic spots and parks, music festivals – and even in shopping malls.
Chinese media reports of couples tying the knot at the bank in Tianjin have garnered public attention.
On the Sina Weibo microblogging site, the hashtag “you can now get your marriage certificate at a bank” topped the site’s Hot Search List, drawing nearly 110 million views as of Monday (Aug 17).
A Weibo user by the handle Shen Yi thought the news was fake. “Turns out it’s real,” she said.
“Does this mean that in the future, marriage rates will become a KPI for bank employees?”
Another user Ying Jiu wrote: “That’s great – much more convenient to get married now. Except, when will getting divorced be this convenient too?”
Source: CNA/lk(ht)
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
