BEIJING: A maternal health facility in Zibo, Shandong province, has recently rolled out a one-stop service combining marriage certification, premarital medical examinations and pregnancy planning consultations ahead of China’s Qixi Festival, which fell on Aug 20 this year.
The initiative forms part of a nationwide push to integrate civil registration with daily public services and improve access to marriage registration nationwide.
Located on the third floor of Qidu Hospital in Zibo’s Linzi district, the newly launched service saw a sharp rise in applications from newly engaged and married couples on Aug 18 and 19, a hospital staff member told local media.
Celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, Qixi is China’s traditional festival widely recognized as a symbol of romantic love. Hospital officials confirmed that the service outlet is permanent, allowing couples to complete full marriage registration procedures on-site before immediately accessing supporting medical and prenatal services. The integrated offerings include premarital checkups, pre-pregnancy counseling, free folic acid distribution and fertility guidance, eliminating the need for cross-site visits.
The center, however, does not handle divorce proceedings, the staff member added.
The Zibo program aligns with national efforts to cut administrative red tape for couples registering for marriage.
Revised marriage rules that took effect in May 2025 did away with the household registration requirement, allowing couples to tie the knot anywhere without providing household registration booklets.
Cities across China have explored innovative off-site marriage registration venues to boost public convenience.
In Tianjin, a postal savings bank branch has opened a love-themed service outlet hosting a marriage registration counter, providing wedding-themed custom bank cards printed with couples’ portraits alongside personal financial planning services. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
