marriage

Love Without Labels: Chinese Revise the Rules on Relationships

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

More Chinese couples are opting for “situationships” over traditional intimate relationships as they put personal happiness ahead of commitment.

Fan Yiying

Zhou Hanchi

I Do, But Not Yet: Young Chinese Delay Tying the Knot

China’s marriage rate has continued to fall, with experts citing rising wedding costs and changing attitudes toward family values.

The Paper

The Big Snip: The Men Making Vasectomies Go Viral in China

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

In a society where reproductive responsibility has long fallen on women, a growing number of Chinese men are sharing their vasectomy stories online, sparking long overdue conversations about masculinity and contraception.

China Slaps Heavy Fine on Top Dating Platform for False Ads

Zhenai, one of China’s oldest matchmaking services, was penalized for misleading users with fake profiles, exaggerated claims, and aggressive sales tactics, according to regulators.

More Chinese Couples Are Choosing to Live Apart. Is It Worth It?

A new study examines the rise of long-distance “commuter marriages” in China, driven by career and financial goals. It also highlights the emotional strain, gender imbalances, and family pressures such couples face.

Ding Rui

In China, Young Women Are Now More Educated Than Their Spouses

Chinese women born after 1990 have on average a higher education level than their husbands, a new study has found.

Jiang Xinyi

China’s Latest Pro-Marriage Tactic: Grammable Wedding Venues

The government hopes to tempt couples to tie the knot by letting them register their marriage at local scenic spots, beaches, and temples.

Li Xin

Lin Liuhan

China’s New Hit Film is a Harsh Glimpse Into the Lives of ‘Aunties’

“Like a Rolling Stone” has won rave reviews for exploring the darkness behind the story of China’s “road-trip auntie,” Su Min.

Dominic  Morgan

China Plans to Make It Simpler for Couples to Marry

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.

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.

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.

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 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.