A bridegroom kisses his wife as they pose for pictures under the Chinese national emblem after having their marriage registered at a civil affairs branch office in Wuhan, Hubei province, January 4, 2013. The date numbers 201314, when pronounced in Mandarin, sounds similar to “Ai Ni Yi Sheng Yi Shi”, which means “loving you for my whole life” in English. Hundreds of thousands of people throughout China made appointments to register their marriages on the day, according to local media. REUTERS/Stringer (CHINA – Tags: SOCIETY) CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA
Couples are lining up to tie the knot in China today. By some estimates, some 10,000 lovebirds were planning to get married in Beijing. That’s because the Mandarin for “January 4, 2013″³ sounds similar to “I will love you all my life.” Well, that’s the story anyway. We hear more from The World’s Beijing correspondent Mary Kay Magistad.