HONG KONG/SHANGAI March 26 (Reuters) - Young couples in

China planning "simple" weddings, rather than traditional

banquets with hundreds of guests, was one of the top hits online

after an article urging more frugal nuptials was published by

the government body in charge of women's rights.

The article by the All China Women's Federation, featured on

Chinese search engine Baidu's ( BIDU ) "hot list" on Tuesday, said

couples were exhausted by the expense and time required for big

weddings.

Changes include shrugging off rituals such as renting luxury

cars, fancy photographers and souvenirs for the guests, instead

opting for a small-scale party for family and close friends.

One couple interviewed said they spent around 6,000 yuan

($831) for their nuptials, significantly lower than traditional

wedding banquets that can cost over 200,000 yuan ($27,700).

The shift to a more simple style is important to develop

good future customs, the article said.

"From a social perspective, extravagant celebrations of

happy events are a bad habit... the rise of minimalist weddings

meets the demand for frugal weddings and will help to develop a

good custom."

The post comes as the number of new marriages in China

jumped 12.4% in 2023, compared with a year earlier, reversing

close to a decade of declines as many young couples tied the

knot after delaying their nuptials due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policymakers are grappling with how to reverse the fall in

new births after China's population fell for a second

consecutive year in 2023.

Marriage rates in China are closely tied to birth rates,

giving some cheer to policymakers that a tick up in marriages

could yield to more babies being born and soften the population

decline in 2024.

China's Premier Li Qiang pledged in March the country would

work towards "a birth-friendly society and promote long term,

balanced population development" and reduce the cost of

childbirth, parenting and education.

Many young couples have put off getting married and having

children due to high costs. China is one of the world's most

expensive places to bring up a child, relative to its GDP per

capita, a prominent Chinese think tank said in February.

($1 = 7.2172 Chinese yuan renminbi)