China's first marriage registration office located inside a bank branch has opened in North China's Tianjin, giving couples a new option for registering their marriages.

Pictured is a sign that reads "Love-themed Bank" in the marriage registration office. (Photo: Agencies)

The office, jointly established by the Hexi District Civil Affairs Bureau and the Tianjin branch of Postal Savings Bank of China, officially opened on August 6.

Two couples registered their marriages at the office on its first day, becoming the first to receive marriage certificates there.

"The setting is warm and romantic, and the registration process is both meaningful and convenient," one newlywed said.

The office serves Chinese mainland residents and is open from 9 to 11:30 am every Wednesday and Thursday, except public holidays.

Pictured is the marriage registration room at the Love-themed Bank. (Photo: Agencies)

The new service follows the revised Marriage Registration Regulation, which took effect on May 10, 2025. The regulation allows mainland residents to register their marriages at any authorized marriage registration office nationwide.

It also removed the requirement for couples to provide household registration books, making it easier for people living and working away from their registered residences to register their marriages.

The nationwide registration policy has prompted cities and tourist destinations to introduce new marriage registration sites in parks, scenic areas and at music festivals.

In Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, a marriage registration office in Taohuahu Park has attracted couples from across the country. A marriage registration center at Sayram Lake in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has registered more than 10,000 couples over the past year.

On July 11, a marriage registration station opened on a Ferris wheel at Discoveryland Theme Park in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, allowing couples to register their marriages while taking in views of the city.

Some local authorities have also brought marriage registration services to music festivals, including events in Urumqi in Xinjiang and Ningbo in Zhejiang.

The expansion of marriage registration services to banks, scenic areas and cultural events reflects efforts to make the process more accessible and convenient for couples.

(Compiled by Gao Xin)