Preparation for marriage in a Chinese community.

This study indicates that Chinese couples in Hong Kong do not have a clear understanding of or put appropriate emphasis on premarital preparation. It is necessary to have a premarital preparation. Findings revealed that the divorced had the least awareness of differences before marriage, the unhappily married were the next and the happily married had the most awareness of whatever differences existed. The number of divorce cases has risen from 5893 in 1988 to 8067 in 1992 and further to 9272 in 1994. Increasing numbers of divorces, extramarital relationships and marital conflicts reflect that premarital couples need assistance and support to make good preparation for their marriages. A happy marriage is possible only if there is an awareness of the importance of enriching marital relationships. Therefore, establishing a family requires learning and preparation. Also, findings in the study illustrate that Chinese people are not against premarital marriages.