All the roads to Rome

Here are some of the hottest trends among newlyweds in recent years.

Hidden marriage (隱婚)

Some people choose to hide their marriages for fear their marital status would undermine their competitiveness in their careers. They put away wedding rings, never indulge in love-talk over the phone in the office, and appear at all kinds of single parties, even though they don't like it.

Flash marriage (閃婚)

This refers to people who get married within a short time of getting to know each other. Many young people believe in "love upon first sight" and don't want to waste time learning about each other more thoroughly. Hasty decisions often lead to problems. Many flash marriages end in "flash divorces" as they find they don't want to spend the rest of their lives with each other.

Marry-upon-graduation (畢婚)

Afraid of stepping into society alone, many university graduates, especially girls, get married as soon as they leave school. Some say these young people are irresponsible cowards. Others say life is easier with another person.

Phoenix men and peacock women (鳳凰男與孔雀女)

"Phoenix" refers to a hard-working man from the countryside with many siblings; while "peacocks" are girls from well-off urban families that have only one child. The Spring Festival and other similar occasions can lead to arguments, as the "peacocks" don't know how to get on with their in-laws in the countryside, and vice versa. These marriages usually fail as the couple do not share values and habits.

Trial-marriage (試婚)

Some people want to live like married couples, to see if the marriage would work. If it doesn't work out, they separate without feeling obliged to each other. Most people who are cynical about these arrangements see them as irresponsible and particularly unfair to women.