Thousands of Chinese couples got married on Friday because the date, 4th January 2013, sounds like "endless love until death" when spoken in the Chinese language Mandarin. The newlyweds hoped the day would prove to be an auspicious one on which to tie the knot. At least 10,000 couples walked down the aisle in Beijing alone. Even though registry offices were fully booked, hopeful brides and bridegrooms braved freezing weather in the hope the registrars could fit them in. The government had to lay on thousands of extra staff to accommodate the increased number of people wanting to take the plunge. In Hong Kong, the city's five marriage registries were fully booked by September 20 last year. The city saw 558 people become man and wife on Friday.

Dates that are numerically unique are very popular in China as people believe they are lucky. Matching days, months and years - like 12/12/12 and 11/11/11 - are considered to bring good fortune. The next such date will be January 1st in the year 2101. Newlywed Chen Foshan told the china.org website: "We promised to get married today a long time ago, if doomsday didn't come first." Marriage is becoming big business in China because the country's middle class is booming. People spend a lot of money on extravagant ceremonies and receptions. One of the biggest expenses is an elaborate wedding album. The happy couple is photographed at various locations wearing different costumes. Photos of the actual vows or exchanging of rings are not usually taken.