Topic: Weddings and Marriage Customs
How does China mark Weddings and Marriage Customs?
Everyday topic
Mainland China has the highest statutory marriage age of the seven places here: Article 1047 of the Civil Code sets it at not earlier than twenty-two for men and twenty for women. The same code puts the age of majority at eighteen — so in mainland China there is a gap of two to four years between becoming an adult and being able to marry, which none of the other six have. The form of the wedding itself — registration, the fetching of the bride, tea offering, the banquet, bride price — varies enormously by region, but that age line is uniform nationwide. The day the certificate is collected and the day of the banquet are often months apart, and the two are treated as separate undertakings.
What is this topic?
The legal doorway to marriage differs by place. Taiwan requires household-registration entry for the marriage to take effect; Japan forms the marriage when the marriage notification is accepted; Brazil centres civil registration; Indonesia commonly layers religious ceremony and state registration; India offers personal-law routes alongside the Special Marriage Act; mainland China sets the minimum age at 22 for men and 20 for women; and US marriage licences are handled by the states. A ceremony, banquet, and legal registration may happen on different days. This guide separates legal marriage from the wedding celebration before comparing family and local customs.
Sources and dates
Dates follow local time zones, calendars, and official notices. Check the source when a date is estimated or locally variable.