A quirk of the lunar calendar has prompted a massive jump in the number of people getting married in China.
This lunar year will last a longer-than-usual 385 days and contain two lunar springs - a doubly lucky time to start a family.
And the years on either side of 2006 are considered exceptionally unlucky since they have no lunar spring at all.
And, on top of that, this is the year of the dog in China, which is viewed as good for marriage.
During the first three months of this lunar year, 44,000 couples registered their unions in Shanghai alone - twice as many as last year.
Sun Lidong and Liu Weijia had been dating for about 18 months when they first heard that this year would be an especially auspicious time to get married.
"Getting married at the right time will bring you more happiness and more luck in the future," says Ms. Liu, 24 years old, a customer-service manager. "It's very important."
