China Fakes Everything! Hire Actors $40/Day to Pretend Waiting for Marriage

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]Recently, multiple posts on Chinese social media have surfaced about the 520 marriage registration event. May 20 is a date whose Chinese pronunciation resembles I love you. Online reports suggest that some civil affairs offices even hired young people from communities to pretend to be couples lining up to create the impression that registration was extremely busy.

[00:00:23]Screenshots circulating online show a post stating on the afternoon of May 20th, civil affairs office needs 50 men, 60 women, pretend to be couples in line.

[00:00:34]It also mentions that fake marriage certificates would be provided. The post adds there will be TV interviews, say nice things and thank the civil affairs office, cooperate well and there will be red envelopes. It specifically notes, "Today there will be TV crews and senior officials present, and participants must meet age requirements." The poster also warned, "No dyed hair, no long hair, no wolf tales." Meanwhile, on Xiao Hong Shu, a user from Inner Mongolia vented.

[00:01:05]Unbelievable. I was pulled in to help fill the crowd at a civil affairs office event. The organizer said it would only last 20 minutes. Just help make it look busy. I figured I'm already here. No one knows me, so I'll just tough it out. But then a bunch of media started filming.

[00:01:22]They took close-ups of me without telling me beforehand, and the footage ended up everywhere. My family and friends saw it and thought I was married. I was really shocked. She later contacted the organizer to delete the photos, but media staff spread the word not to pursue it. They said, "We can't delete it or people will say the event was fake." In the end, she could only lament. How do I keep hitting every unlucky situation? The 520 marriage registration event at Wanoi Mountain Scenic Area in Jung Jo Han also drew attention. Official promotions repeatedly claimed 520 registration fully booked. Wanoi Mountain brings civil affairs office into the scenic area. Newlywed certificate moments captured. And Jingu district civil affairs marriage registration office.

[00:02:11]Yet, many online commentators noticed the so-called newlyweds looked generally unenthusiastic, contrasting sharply with the advertised sweet and happy vibe. Some questioned, "Why do couples look unhappy getting married?" Others commented, "Everyone looks worried. Where's the sweetness?

[00:02:29]Why aren't they smiling? Are they just naturally serious?" Some even exposed that staff were posing as couples. How can they smile? Many civil affairs offices now hire community grid workers to act as couples to fill the registration lines. For many observers, this was no longer shocking. In China, using lines, full houses, and enthusiastic responses has long been a common promotional tactic. When the housing market was slow, people were hired to line up for apartments. When malls were empty, staff were hired to make it look busy. Now, with marriage rates dropping, even weddings need extras. According to reports, a civil affairs staff member in Shenyang admitted that fewer people have been registering marriages in recent years.

[00:03:14]To make the numbers look better, registration offices even advise people not to come early, encouraging couples to register on May 20th or May 21st, so the data looks good. The staff member said, "Usually very few people actually come to register." In Shinyu, Jangi, the marriage registration scene on May 20th also appeared unusually quiet. A vlogger who visited shared their impressions.

[00:03:42]>> This year on May 20th, there are more staff than couples. This is the marriage registration office in Shinyu. Let's see how many couples are actually getting married today. 1 2 3 about a dozen couples. In previous years, there were far more. Lines used to stretch from our civil affairs office all the way across the street. Are people in Shinu just not getting married anymore? Last year, the line already reached that spot by around 7 a.m. As registration halls get emptier, many commenters joked. Other than these two days, it's mostly divorce lines. It's not just Jang Joe or Shenyang. During this year's May 20th, many registration offices across the country looked unusually quiet. In Shuang, Shandong, the registration center was nearly empty. A local resident captured video.

[00:04:34]On 520, no one was lining up at the Shuang Marriage Registration Center. The whole hall was empty, and even the seats weren't filled.

[00:04:44]This decline isn't only on special days like May 20th. It's even quiet on Valentine's Day, February 14th. One user remarked, >> "Oh my, the marriage rate can't be this low. It's Valentine's Day and the turnout is shockingly low." With registration halls emptying, some commenters half jokingly offered themselves as extras. Need someone to fill in 300 yen a day? I can pretend to get married. In reality, marriage registration numbers in China have been declining for several years, and the birth rate has also dropped continuously. In response to the falling numbers, civil affairs offices in many regions have started offering incentives, including marriage and childirth subsidies, scenic area marriage registration events, and collective weddings. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs report on May 9th, 2026, covering the first quarter of the year, there were nearly 1.7 million registrations nationwide and 622,000 divorce registrations. A vlogger analyzed the shift.

[00:05:55]>> Let me show you some numbers. In the first quarter of 2012, there were 3.47 million marriages nationwide. By the first quarter of 2026, that dropped to 1.69 million, a decrease of 1.77 million. In 14 years, the number of marriages has more than haved. Before, dozens of couples would register in a morning. Now, it's only a few per day.

[00:06:18]People in their 20s used to marry. Now, there are plenty in their 30s still unmarried. It's not that young people don't want to marry, it's just too hard.

[00:06:26]Houses, jobs, bride prices, they all weigh heavily and requirements keep rising. Ordinary people just can't keep up. Many netisonens think economic pressure is only part of the problem. A user from Shani said cars, houses, bride price, renovations, the wedding itself.

[00:06:46]You need at least a million even in the countryside. In cities with high property prices, it's even worse. The biggest issue is fake marriages. Even if people do get married, many divorce within months or a year. Rural areas with high bribe prices are hit hardest by this. In the comment section, many expressed disappointment with marriage.

[00:07:07]One user said, "Marriage has become like a wish-ranting pool for women. It's scary. Things aren't like our generation at all. People aren't willing to endure even a little hardship." At the same time, more netizens noticed a striking pattern. Marriage registration counters are quiet while divorce counters are busy. A video captured this scene.

[00:07:30]>> The marriage window has no one, but the divorce line is full. Bride prices are rising, but divorces are increasing even faster. They say 90% of divorces now are initiated by women. If it weren't for the kids, even the civil affair offices three shift schedule couldn't keep up.

[00:07:46]Many maternal and child hospitals can't even pay staff. In our village, only two guys married in 5 years and only eight children were born in that time.

[00:07:56]>> Compared with the previous generations, more and more people born after the 80s are beginning to doubt marriage itself.

[00:08:02]A 34 yearear-old user shared his observations in a video.

[00:08:09]>> I'm 34 this year, and it's been exactly 10 years since I graduated from university. At a recent reunion with over 10 male classmates, only two or three were married. just one had a child at 34. In my parents' generation, this would have been unimaginable. But the change came so fast. In just two or three decades, being unmarried in your 30s seems to have become the norm. And having children is even rarer. I estimate that around 80% of my peers in Sujo city haven't married. Some have married and divorced. Why are so many young people staying unmarried? You might say it's about houses or cars, but for my local classmates, families aren't lacking in property or vehicles. So, what's really stopping people in their early to mid-30s from marrying? I don't think it's money. The main issue is values. Men and women just don't find each other suitable. Women think, "I won't marry you for nothing. I need to get something." Men think, "These things are mine. Why should I give them up? Why should I immediately offer you a house, a car, or your name on the deeds? This conflict just can't be solved right now.

[00:09:13]>> Many netizens have summarized the core contradiction in today's marriage and dating struggles. One comment read, "Women think having children isn't worth it. Men think contributing financially isn't worth it, so neither side marries.

[00:09:27]It balances out." In recent years, topics around male female conflict have gained traction on Chinese social media.

[00:09:34]From debates over bride price to discussions on feminism versus male rights, from independent women to simp culture, these opposing views are amplified online. Many believe that the CCP's propaganda machinery and recommendation algorithms have fueled this dynamic. In a normal society, marriage should be built on trust and mutual respect. But after decades of atheist indoctrination and a culture of struggle philosophy, contemporary mainland China has evolved into a materialistic, wary, and mutually distrustful society.

[00:10:08]Traditionally, men were expected to provide and establish a household.

[00:10:12]Today, ordinary young men may work for 10 years without being able to afford a home. In first tier cities, down payments can be hundreds of thousands or even over a million yen. Wedding costs, bride price, houses, cars, renovations, and banquet expenses all fall on the man. Many men now see marriage as signing a long-term debt contract.

[00:10:36]At the same time, women's attitudes are shifting rapidly. Many women today have education, income, urban jobs, and independent living skills. They reassess marriage, asking, "Why enter a relationship that could lower my quality of life?"

[00:10:52]Social media constantly highlights issues like single parent struggles, domestic violence, mother-in-law conflicts, and the cost of childbirth, making young women naturally cautious about marriage. Men, meanwhile, see high bribe prices, high expectations, the gold digging debate, divorce settlements, and the cost of raising children. Over time, mutual trust erodess, and both sides grow increasingly skeptical of each other. In China, an extreme pattern has emerged online. Men see women as materialistic and women see men as unreliable. Both sides are expressing their frustrations.

[00:11:30]A video from the Jashing dating scene struck a chord with many viewers.

[00:11:38]In Jashing, men aren't worried about women asking for cars or houses. They're worried when women with average conditions demand perfection. This morning, a woman really opened my eyes.

[00:11:48]She was born in 1999. She has her nails and eyelashes done. She earns 4,000 to 5,000 a month. Has no savings and no social security. Yet her demands were skyhigh. A fully paid house in Jashing, a car over 200,000 yen, an annual income over 300,000 yen, a bribe price of 168,000 yen, and not a yen less. She didn't want to do housework or live with her in-laws. I asked her, "What can you contribute to this family?" She said, "I'm young and beautiful. I'm a woman. I can have children." I was just speechless. These toxic messages online are really harmful. Things like, "A man who spends on you truly loves you." Or, "Women should be treated like princesses and do nothing." These messages make women believe that just by being female, they can demand men give them whatever they want while doing very little themselves. They can relax while expecting their partner to provide, act selfishly while expecting limitless patience, refuse to contribute financially, yet complain about the man's sincerity. It's not that men don't want to give, it's that they can't accept such a completely unbalanced one-sided relationship.

[00:12:59]Many observers argue that this severe gender divide isn't natural. It's the direct result of the CCP undermining traditional family ethics. Since taking power, the party has promoted ideas like women hold up half the sky and the class struggle, eroding confusion ideals of mutual respect and harmony in marriage.

[00:13:19]Traditional Chinese culture emphasized love, respect, and shared hardship between spouses. The CCP replaced these values with materialism and struggle philosophy, turning marriage into a negotiation of interests and a power game. Feminism was selectively used to create gender rifts. While contradictory pro-natalist policies undermined credibility, young people see through all this and choose to lie flat. They avoid marriage entirely to escape repeated policy pressures. China's marriage crisis reflects the broader failure of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

[00:13:55]While Western democracies have their own issues, family values remain supported by religion and tradition. In China, atheism and materialism have fully secularized and commodified marriage, leaving people spiritually empty and morally a drift. This extreme divide has deep social roots. When unemployment, corruption, or economic crisis intensify, the CCP's internet authorities often allow or even subtly amplify gender conflict online, encouraging men and women to fight each other as a distraction. In this environment, marriage is no longer a sacred bond. It has turned into a negotiation full of calculation, suspicion, and hostility. The foundation of marriage is completely eroded. With basic trust between men and women gone, it's no wonder that marriage struggled to endure. By contrast, in China's 5,000-year traditional culture, marriage was far more than the union of two individuals. It was connected to ancestor worship, the continuation of family lines, and the moral order of heaven and humanity. The ancients understanding of marriage went far beyond modern material contracts or the exchange of benefits.

[00:15:09]Traditional Chinese culture was spiritually rooted. People believed in the will of heaven and marriage was called yinguen or faded union. Couples would marry with the blessing of heaven and the gods. The central ritual in a Chinese wedding was biend or paying respects to heaven and earth. This was a vow to the divine entrusting the marriage to higher principles and sacred oversight. Marriage was seen as the result of karmic ties and destiny from past lives. Since it was a faded bond, it was sacred and inviable. The ancients treated marriage with the utmost seriousness and reverence. Divorce or betrayal was not only a violation of human ethics but also believed to bring divine punishment or loss of fortune.

[00:15:56]As the saying goes, never forget friends in poverty. Do not dismiss the wife who shared hardships. This famous line is from Song Dynasty Minister Se Hong. It reflects traditional values. Abandoning the wife who stood by you in hardship brought social scorn and could ruin one's career. Traditional culture also praised women who stayed devoted when husbands face disaster and men who care for their wives in illness or old age.

[00:16:23]This ideal of mutual support welded lives together in a profound bond. For both scholars and common people, marriage was never purely a private affair. It was a union of two families honoring ancestors above and continuing descendants below. A harmonious couple ensured a stable family. A stable family secured social order. Social order upheld a prosperous state. This wisdom from the ancients, it's not just history. It offers a model for rebuilding moral foundations and a civilized future in contemporary society.