Wang Ni and Liu Hao, both 23 years old, got married last week, a month after they graduated from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

"We married for love," said Wang Ni. "We fell in love when we were juniors. Now we want our passion to continue."

University students in major cities are increasingly choosing to get married soon after graduation. According to the Civil Affairs Department of Xuhui District, Shanghai, 1,221 university graduates aged 22 to 24 applied for marriage registration last year in the district, an increase of 50 percent over 2005.

Outside of Shanghai, students in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenyang and some other big cities are also choosing to get married right after graduating, statistics from civil affairs departments show.

This is in sharp contrast to the 1990s and 1980s when many urban youngsters put off marriage until they were "old enough" - in their 30s or even 40s. Many spent their time looking for spouses with good economic backgrounds or attractive faces, instead of looking for love.

Analysts say that as Chinese society has become more affluent and open in the 21st century, more young people feel free to pursue their own way of life.

"Quick marriages are usually a product of a comfortable life," said Sun Baohong, deputy director of the Shanghai Juvenile Research Institute.

Despite being driven by affection, some university graduates also marry because they are looking for an easy-going life.

"We think that an early marriage will help us build a stable life as quickly as possible, which would leave us time to concentrate on our jobs," said Zhu Keke, 24. She married her classmate Zhang Dafeng half a year ago.

However, their parents have to take care of the couple's daily affairs, as the "babies" are still figuring out how to live as a family. Zhu's mother calls the couple every morning and comes to clean their house every weekend. Their parents also give them 3,000 yuan ($395) every month to help them cover their expenses.

Critics have warned that marriages that were not based on life experience and mutual understanding would end in divorce.

Statistics from the Beijing civil affairs bureau show that 5,786 couples of people who were younger than 24 applied for divorce last year. Among them, 970 had been married for less than a year and 52 less than a month.

"Getting married without first thinking things through will often lead to break-ups," said Li Ziwei, an official with Beijing civil affairs bureau.

"Most newly married young couples were born after the 1980s, after China's family planning policy was adopted," Li said. "They are the only children in their families and are usually very self-centered, and they value their personal feelings more than family responsibility."

Xinhua

(China Daily 07/23/2007 page3)