Court annuls marriage of clueless cousins

A court in Chuzhou, Anhui province granted an annulment to a couple who had married each other after five years of dating without realizing they were first cousins.

The couple sought the annulment at the Nanqiao district court this May after their family relation was revealed during a meeting between the two families as they planned the wedding banquet.

Lin met his "wife" surnamed Wen in 2007 while working at the same company in Beijing. The two dated for five years before secretly registering their marriage in Chuzhou on July 26 last year.

During the wedding preparations, the soon to be mothers-in-law were shocked to discover they were sisters separated while very young following the divorce of their parents.

The two lost contact after their mother remarried and moved with the younger sister surnamed Zhang to Tianjin. The joyous reunion, however, was cut short.

"We kind of knew we were somewhat connected through family, but never thought we were so close in blood, " said the couple.

The family explained that their suspicions were heightened after discovering the company they worked for was run by a mutual relative.

Chinese Law disallows marriage between blood relatives within three generations.