The segment of Al Jazeeera’s report on Maggie Gu’s “Romance Chinese Style” starts with the sound of violins at a wedding banquet.
The narrator says, “Chinese weddings today combine east and west both in customs and in costumes. However, the all-important wedding banquet must start before twelve to avoid bad luck.”
China is learning about love and romance. However, it is also discovering the agony of divorce since in the last two decades the divorce rate in China has taken flight but is still far from the divorce rate in the US.
Divorce has become so common, that it led to a popular, award winning TV drama “Chinese-Style Divorce”, which is the story of a woman losing her husband due to jealousy. This program struck a chord with millions of Chinese viewers.
The producer/director of Chinese-Style Divorce went through a divorce the year before he started filming. Many in the production crew were also divorced.
Lost love in China has also created opportunities in a new divorce industry leading to lawyers that specialize in divorce.
The Economist also reported that Divorce is on the rise in China.
While Chinese laws have made divorce much easier, Chinese culture is still having a difficult time adjusting to the shock that comes with divorce.
Today, marriage in China is more than just sticking it out through hard times. These days young couples want harmony, happiness, and romance, which means when marriage becomes painful and/or boring there is no hesitation to get a divorce.
But there are still differences between Chinese and marriages in the United States. In China, many expect their new mate to show respect and support for parents.
Chinese parents may also become involved in playing cupid for their children.
A matchmaking party for Chinese female millionaires who don’t have time to find love on their own.
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of My Splendid Concubine, Crazy is Normal, Running with the Enemy, and The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova.
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iLook China 
Advice: Don’t look for love. Let love find you. (Note: I’m still waiting)
What most of us think is love is often lust. We rush in and then wake up one day and think, “What the hell did I do?” Then for some of us, it takes years to escape and it isn’t pain-free or without financial cost.
Yes. I’ve heard my fair share of sob stories.