MARRIAGE registry offices across Shenzhen will open both online and offline appointment slots for couples seeking to register their marriages during this year’s Qixi Festival, which falls on Aug. 19 this year, according to the Shenzhen Civil Affairs Bureau.

Although online appointments at most district marriage registry offices have been fully booked, couples can still walk in for on-site service. Registry offices will remain open until every couple in line has been served, ensuring that no one is turned away on that day.

Qixi Festival — often referred to as Chinese Valentine’s Day — falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Rooted in the legend of the mythological figures of the Cowherd (or Niulang 牛郎) and the Weaver Girl (or Zhinyu 织女), the festival celebrates romantic love, and many couples intentionally choose to tie the knot on this auspicious date.

The occasion’s popularity reflects a broader trend. According to the Guangdong Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, the province recorded 288,000 marriages in the first half of this year, with Shenzhen accounting for 57,181 — the highest figure among Guangdong cities.

The figures also reflect Shenzhen’s efforts to make marriage registration more memorable. In recent years, the city has transformed marriage registration from a routine administrative procedure into an experience with a greater sense of ceremony, warmth and joy.

Each district has established indoor and outdoor venues for marriage registration ceremonies, incorporating rituals such as vow-taking and exchanging keepsakes. During peak periods, districts also offer free self-service photo booths, on-site makeup services, and other thoughtful amenities to enhance the experience for couples.

The nationwide marriage registration policy has further contributed to the trend by allowing couples to register anywhere in the country rather than having to return to the place of their household registration. Statistics from the Shenzhen Civil Affairs Bureau show that 31,500 couples with non-local household registration registered their marriages in the city in the first half of this year, up 26.53% year on year.

(Zhang Chanwen)