(Yicai) May 12 -- The number of marriages registered in many major Chinese cities rose after China revised several relevant regulations, abolishing regional restrictions and local household registration requirements.

Over 1,400 marriage registrations were handled in Beijing on May 10, the same day China updated its Marriage Registration Regulations, with 32 percent involving couples from non-local households. The figure reached 1,673 in Shanghai and 439 in Shenzhen, with 28 percent and 34 percent, respectively, being cases where neither partner is from a local household.

Many Chinese regions have devised new ways to boost “marriage registration + cultural tourism” initiatives. Chun’an county, under the administration of Hangzhou, relocated its registration center to a scenic area, offering year-round free entry to attractions and exclusive discounts at restaurants and hotels for newlyweds.

Yunnan province plans to launch honeymoon travel packages and integrate ethnic festivals with wedding experiences. Nanjing in Jiangsu province has also set up a registration office at Xuanwu Lake.

Nationwide marriage registration will reduce economic and time costs for couples living outside their registered areas, improving their overall well-being, Ding Changfa, associate professor at Xiamen University’s economics department, told Yicai.

China’s migrant population has reached 376 million, with 125 million being inter-provincial migrants and the rest intra-provincial migrants, according to the results of the seventh national population census. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Xiamen have high migrant populations.

After the new reform, marriage registrations in areas with significant inbound migration, including the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin regions, will likely increase. However, smaller cities and counties experiencing population outflows will likely see a drop.

Editor: Martin Kadiev