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MARRIAGE registration offices across China are reporting overwhelming demand for May 20 and May 21, as thousands of couples rush to wed on dates that phonetically resemble the phrase “I love you” in Mandarin.
China Daily cited on Monday that the surge is driven by the symbolic appeal of the numbers 520 and 521, which are commonly associated with romantic expression in Chinese internet culture due to their pronunciation.
In Mandarin, 520 is pronounced in a way that closely resembles “I love you”, while 521 carries a similar sound, making both dates highly sought-after for marriage registration.
As of May 8, all 15 marriage registration offices in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, were fully booked for May 20, according to local media reports. Similar demand was recorded in Shenzhen, where appointment slots were also completely filled.
In Nanjing, Jiangsu province, more than 1,400 couples had already secured appointments for May 20 by late April, with popular scenic venues such as the Nanjing Confucius Temple fully booked. Some locations in the city were also reported to be fully reserved for May 21.
In Wuxi, also in Jiangsu province, online booking slots for May 20 had been completely exhausted, although authorities said couples would still be allowed to register their marriages as walk-in applicants on the day itself.
The annual surge in demand comes against the backdrop of recent nationwide reforms to China’s marriage registration system aimed at encouraging higher marriage rates and improving administrative convenience.
Since May 10, 2025, revised regulations have removed the requirement for couples to present their household registration booklet, and now allow marriage registration anywhere in the country, regardless of the couple’s registered hometown.
The reform effectively ended a long-standing rule that required couples to register marriages in their place of household registration, easing mobility constraints for interprovincial unions.
Official data showed that in the past year alone, more than 682,000 interprovincial marriages were processed under the new system.
China also recorded a notable rise in overall marriage registrations in 2025, with 6.763 million couples registering their marriages, representing a year-on-year increase of 10.76 per cent.
The latest “520” wedding rush underscores how cultural symbolism, digital-era numerology and policy reforms are combining to reshape modern marriage trends in the world’s most populous country. - May 11, 2026