In a time of widespread attacks against marriage laws, the "one man one woman", "one husband one wife", or "one life together forever" marriage values are gradually losing their influence. However, there has been a recent rekindling of a chastise marriage culture in the mainland, and the city of Guangdong Chungshan is hosting a "Festival of Husbands and Wives" on October 6th, to raise awareness to the sacred relationship of marriage, and to save the deteriorating marriage culture.
The organizers stated that there are four aims to the "Festival of Husbands and Wives": one is to illustrate that a "one life together forever" marriage is one of immense and infinite success; two is to encourage the city's husbands and wives to celebrate the lengthening of marriage life, to honor it, and to encourage each other to continue this marathon; three is to raise the city's awareness to marriage; and four is to urge the youths to wish for chastity and marriage.
Influenced by the fallen Western cultural thinking, the safeguarding of traditional culture in China is also affected and deteriorating. Recently, the New Century China Youth Development Report stated that the divorce rate in China has been rising for the 7th consecutive year. Shanghai, a city of rapid economical development, has a divorce rate of 44%, the highest among the country; Shenzhen is close behind, with a divorce rate of 36%.
Apart from marriage, mainland China also faces an immense danger in its sexual culture. Surveys say that Chinese youths have consciously or unconsciously given up on traditional values, and in turn unknowingly embrace the world's trend. At times of early puberty when youths are especially curious about relationships between the opposite sexes, Chinese youths have gradually adopted a more open attitude towards pre-marital sex. Furthermore, youths involving in the escort business have also become an increasingly prominent problem in China.
In the face of the falling marriage values in mainland China, the "10.6 Festival of Husbands and Wives" will be held on Saturday, organized jointly by the Chungshan Municipal Siu Lam Church entrepreneurs and professionals Christian Fellowship and the City of David Cultural Center. The target audience is married couples from various parts of the country, and there will be featured talks, songs, message and testimonial sharing, and opportunities for attending couples to renew their marriage vows, and to renew their oaths to a chastise marriage. The aim is to raise the index of love between husbands and wives, and to increase the index of harmony in family and society.
The "Festival of Husbands and Wives" was held for the first time in Hong Kong on November 11, 2002, organized by the City of David Cultural Center. Since then, celebratory activities have been held on the same day every year in public venues or large-scale arenas. The Canadian Chinese Church also held its first "Festival of Husbands and Wives" in 2008 in response. Similar related activities are also held in the United States of America, and New York now has a marriage council to defend the "one man one woman" policy, all in aims to promote the return of the "one man one woman", "one husband one wife", "one life together forever" spirit of wonderful marriage.
