Marriage registration slots for May 20 are fully booked in several major cities, as couples rush to marry on a date that sounds like "I love you" in Mandarin — with May 21 also emerging as a popular alternative.

In Chinese, the numbers "520" are pronounced similarly to "I love you". May 20 has therefore become one of the country's most sought-after days for marriage registration.

The following day, May 21 — or "521" — carries a similar meaning, with its pronunciation closely resembling "I love you" as well, making it a popular runner-up date.

As of May 8, all 15 marriage registration offices across Guangzhou, Guangdong province, were fully booked for May 20, according to local media. Shenzhen's offices were also filled.

In Nanjing, Jiangsu province, more than 1,400 couples had reserved May 20 appointments by late April, with scenic registration spots such as the Nanjing Confucius Temple already at capacity. Some locations were also fully booked for May 21.

Wuxi, another city in Jiangsu, had no online slots left for May 20. Still, local authorities said couples can walk in and register on the day.

The rush comes one year after China introduced a revised marriage regulation as part of the nationwide pro-marriage reforms.

Since May 10, 2025 — when the rules took effect — couples no longer need to show their household registration booklet, and they can marry anywhere in the country regardless of where their official home is registered.

That has put an end to a decades-old restriction that required people to register their marriage in their hometowns.

In the past year, authorities processed more than 682,000 such interprovincial marriages, official data showed.

China saw a significant surge in marriage registrations in 2025, with 6.763 million couples registering, marking a 10.76 percent year-on-year increase.