A decade of change
These processes stayed in place until 2003, when the State Council launched new regulations that canceled these complicated procedures. Couples who agreed to split could get divorced on the spot.
That year, according to Ma's research, 1.3 million couples separated legally, the highest number since 1949.
"While getting divorced still underwent administrative intervention and social pressure, the low rate did not reflect the actual quality of marriages," says Qu. "To some extent, rising divorce rates actually signifies progress of society." Once the bread and butter issues were resolved, people were looking for better emotional well-being.
But it is still not a rosy picture.
A demand for better quality in a marriage and a more tolerant attitude towards divorce may have freed some from unhappy relationships, but a new generation also brings a totally different perspective.
Qu says people born after the 1980s often misunderstand the meaning of marriage. They currently make up the largest numbers of divorces.
In these newly prosperous times, young people are more given to lightning courtships fuelled by intense passion. Once the first flush of romance fades, however, they want out of the relationship instead of working out the problems. Qu says that for these age groups, the danger period is usually the first two years of marriage.
The reason for divorce is usually "incompatible personalities", but Qu says a new individualism has taken a grip on young Chinese. They want what they can get out of a relationship and are less tolerant about what the other party needs or wants.
