‘New Style’ Marriages Divorce from Traditional Views

Views on dowries and other marriage traditions are changing in China’s wealthier eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, where spouses and their families are coming together on more equal terms, Chinese media reported. Traditionally, a woman is expected to prioritize her husband’s family while cutting filial ties to her own. However, these “new-style” marriages seek to give both families equal importance, as well as forego dowries or betrothal gifts from grooms, which have become increasingly expensive due to China’s imbalanced gender ratio. Such couples generally plan for two children: one takes the mother’s surname who she supports financially, and the other the father’s surname who he supports. Some netizens believe the arrangement could help diffuse family conflicts by maintaining strong ties to both families, while others said it may prevent the couple from getting closer and negatively influence their children.