In this unit we will address the following domestic and family-related issues: 1) Procedures for marrying either a Chinese national or another foreigner in China; 2) Having a baby; 3) Raising children, 4) Religious worship and; 5) Traveling with or buying a household pet.
If you do decide to tie the knot, getting married in China is a relatively simple affair although procuring all the necessary paperwork can be a time-consuming pain in the neck. Chinese nationals can register a marriage with a foreigner in their hukou (户口: a hukou is essentially an official document that indicates where the citizen's recorded place of residence is—China is one of the few countries in the world to have such a system in place and it is intended to control mobility). So, for example, if you are living with your girlfriend in Shanghai and her hukou is in Hunan province, you will either have to return to Hunan to register the marriage or have her hukou transferred to Shanghai (much easier said than done). A citizen can transfer his or her hukou if an apartment is purchased or a position is held that is not considered to be a transient one (for example, a position as a hotel clerk would not qualify for a hukou transfer but a position as a senior middle teacher at a government school would). Many real estate companies sell extra hukou transfer documents, in what could be described as a "gray market," that were procured after a building was constructed (where the number of apartments in the original blueprint actually exceeded the number that were eventually built-out)—these generally sell anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 yuan depending on the desirability of the new hukou. Just look for posters or billboards in your neighborhood advertising this service.
The foreigner will have to obtain, by appearing in person to his embassy or consulate, a "certificate of marriageability" (the foreigner's equivalent of the Chinese dan shen zheng ming, 单身证明, or "single certificate"). This document essentially certifies that the foreigner is either single or legally divorced (and you will need an official and certified copy of your divorce papers if this applies). When you appear in front of an embassy or consulate official, in addition to your divorce papers, you will need to present your passport as well as a copy of your fiancée's national ID card (or shen fen zheng, 身份证) and hukou registration. You do not need to present her passport and she does not have to appear in person (in fact, most Western embassies and consulates will not even admit her). Contact your particular embassy or consulate for specific details.
Once you have all the paperwork, you'll need three photos of the two of you and you'll take these down to the local marriage bureau, pay a fee and that's that: You are legally married. There is no civil type of wedding ceremony in China: You just register the marriage with the proper office. Usually, some weeks or months later, the couple will throw a wedding party to celebrate the marriage fully dressed in Western wedding attire (i.e., wedding gown and tuxedo). To most foreigners, this way-after-the-fact celebration seems anticlimactic but it is the customary practice in China.
Under the strictest letter of the law, two foreigners may technically register a marriage in mainland China, but, as a practical matter, most will find the paperwork involved to be far too overwhelming. In addition, many provinces, as a matter of practice (such that the government officials have never done it before, and would likely be entirely unfamiliar with the law and the required procedures involved in such a matter) will simply inform you, in all earnest, that two foreigners cannot get married in mainland China (although this may not be the case in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, where there are far greater percentages of foreign residents).
The easiest and simplest solution for two foreigners who want to get married is to do so in Hong Kong, where there are no residency requirements involved. Technically speaking, a foreigner may also marry a Chinese national in Hong Kong (for example, in the case where a church wedding is sought), but securing a travel visa to Hong Kong for a Chinese national may prove to be more cumbersome in the long run than simply returning to the bride's hometown of record, especially once the foreigner is in possession of all his required documents from his respective embassy or consulate.
You will have to request a notification of marriage packet from the immigration department of Hong Kong, by simply sending an e-mail to their intake department. You will receive a full application packet, containing forms you may not need (such as consent from a parent for a minor to marry) in two or three days, via e-mail, and the entire process can be handled through express mail (see the section, on the HK website listed below, for giving "overseas notice"). You will need to sign all required forms in front of a notary of the public and will have to return the forms and payment (a money order from the Bank of China in the amount of 305 HK dollars) via DHL (express mail service). If you are divorced, you will also need to include a certified copy of your divorce papers (Photostat copies of court dockets and decrees, and others not containing official seals and a signature will not suffice). All State Departments issue certified copies of vital statistic records, and most have mechanisms in place for ordering these documents via the Internet.
Once the application (notification of marriage and any other necessary forms) is received, the immigration officer will post a 14-day public notification of marriage, and, at the same time, will make an appointment for you on one of the dates you had specified on the application, at the marriage registrar of your choice. However, arrangements for religious (non-civil) ceremonies will have to made directly by the bride and bridegroom at the place of worship of their choice. You can get married as early as 15 days after the notice of marriage has been posted (assuming no one has objected), and up to three months thereafter. The cost for the civil ceremony and registering the marriage at a marriage registrar is HK$715, Monday through Friday, during normal office hours, and HK$1915 on weekends and holidays.
For more information, please visit the Hong Kong Department of Immigration website.
Given the significant differences in the healthcare delivery system between China and our respective Western countries, one can easily imagine that the experience of having a baby in China is quite different than it is back home, especially outside the three major international cities of Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. Within these three aforementioned cities, the demand for more modern levels of care with Western trained doctors who can communicate freely in English has spawned an outgrowth of boutique Western maternity hospitals that are comparable in quality to—and often exceedingly costlier than—what one would expect to find and pay back home. One such example of a high-priced boutique Western maternity hospital would be Care Bay in Shanghai, which boasts a “luxurious experience” and professional services that include “maternity yoga.”
The vast majority of foreign teachers who live outside a first-tier international city will have little choice but to rely on the maternity services provided in second- and third-tier cities, so this section will primarily focus on that experience as we feel it represents what most foreign couples and foreign male teachers married to Chinese women can expect. Obviously, most of this will not pertain to Western employees of international companies who have comprehensive medical insurance that covers maternity expenses and can afford to commute to and from Shanghai or Hong Kong for prenatal care and delivery.
Routine and free prenatal care is available in second- and third-tier cities but it is limited. Typically what happens is that a pregnant woman will receive a red prenatal care book from the hospital early in her pregnancy and this book is used to track and record nominal data such as vital signs and weight, as well as the results of a cursory gynecological examination to rule out obvious signs of colpopathy (vaginal disease). The frequency of these visits is expected to increase from monthly to biweekly and finally to weekly as gestation progresses from the first six months, six to eight months, and finally from eight months to delivery, respectively. For an additional 100 yuan, the patient can request additional blood and urine lab tests but these will typically not be ordered unless the gynecological exam reveals some abnormality or the expectant mother presents with a specific complaint. Often, the gynecologist will suggest that the patient purchase “prenatal care vitamins” for an additional 100 yuan.
At 20 weeks of gestation, the mother may elect to have an ultrasound ostensibly to rule out any gross physical abnormalities but, more commonly than not, to determine gender. Technically, it is illegal for the ultrasound technician and doctor to reveal the gender of the fetus: However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the determination of a male fetus is generally confirmed via some unofficial congratulatory remark while the determination of a female fetus remains undisclosed. In addition, in the absence of clear confirmation either way, there are rumors that fetal gender can be ascertained for the right price.
Of considerable concern to international healthcare professionals is the alarming increase in the number of cesarean deliveries being performed in China: While C-sections accounted for only five percent of all births in the 1970s, that number jumped to 50% in 2007 and exceeds 60% at many urban hospitals throughout mainland China. These statistics far exceed the standard rate of 10 to 15% established by the WHO (China Daily, 2007). However, the popularity of C-section deliveries across mainland China appears to be part of an international trend. Recent statistics indicate that in 2006 the rate of C-section deliveries in the United States had also risen to about one-third (31.6%) of all births, representing a 50% increase over the past decade (Rubin, 2008). The reasons cited for this increase include greater convenience and higher fees for the doctor, and the avoidance of labor pain for the mother. As a cesarean section is a major surgical procedure, there is consensus among healthcare professionals that a vaginal delivery will generally be safer for mothers unless there is a complication or clear indication for the procedure, such as insufficient pelvic space. The total cost of a C-section delivery will run anywhere from approximately 5,000 to 7,000 yuan (USD $730 to $1022), depending on location and hospital, while total expenses for a vaginal delivery are typically around 2,000 to 3,000 yuan (USD $292 to $438; China Daily, 2007).
Another predominant concern among foreigners is the ability of mainland Chinese physicians to respond to neonatal complications or emergencies. This appears to be a hit or miss type of proposition and will vary considerably depending on the hospital and doctor.
The following is an excerpt from a report shared by a foreign teacher in China regarding his experiences with his Chinese wife’s delivery:
The hospital, in spite of its reputation as the best in the city, did not inspire confidence. The floors were scuffed and unclean looking, the walls were dirty, and the hospital was undergoing construction within.
Inside the glass-windowed room labeled “Clean Room,” a nurse slurping a bowl of noodles sat next to a doctor calmly smoking a cigarette.
At that time, there was also a media exposé of cases involving contaminated needles and fake plasma being sold to hospitals in our region that further failed to bolster my confidence.
The doctors determined that a cesarean delivery was called for and my wife reported to the hospital the day before the operation. In China, a natural delivery is price-capped while a surgical procedure is priced higher; some say the use of C-sections is overprescribed. A similar criticism is made of American doctors too. In our case, we believe the procedure was correctly prescribed.
We paid for a private room to ensure privacy and accommodate visiting relatives and friends. The room was absent any medical equipment similar to what you might find in western hospitals, (monitoring equipment, etc.) It was pretty much a one-star hotel room in a hospital (without a private bathroom).
The hospital had no cafeteria or meal service. Patients were expected to have meals delivered by family members. In our region, it is still possible to see elderly visitors bringing live turtles to patients during hospital visits. Fresh turtle blood is considered a tremendous tonic for the sick.
Patients are not provided hospital gowns nor are there any to provide. Patients wear street clothes or their own night clothes, even into surgery.
My wife’s surgery was scheduled for 12:30 pm, so I arrived at the hospital at 11:00 am. Upon my arrival, I found out that the surgery had been suddenly and inexplicably moved up. Complete strangers were shouting at me when I arrived outside the hospital—gesturing to me to go in. Once inside, others were directing me, urgently, into the surgery ward. She was being wheeled out of the surgery room when I arrived.
The baby had already been transported (accompanied by grandma) to our room. The baby had been cleaned and then completely covered in a white powder intended to disinfect and protect the skin.
Parents have a great concern about newborn theft or swaps in hospitals and, consequently, babies are never out of the family members' sight. If a doctor or nurse asks to remove the baby for some reason, they will be refused unless accompanied by a family member.
After checking on my wife, I dashed downstairs to check on the baby. After a quick count of appendages offered initial reassurance, I asked if an APGAR (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) test had been done. After some initial translation, I was told that an APGAR had been performed and that the score was a perfect ten.
My wife then arrived on the scene. The baby was all of about thirty minutes old when he developed a breathing abnormality. At the end of each breath, he developed a trailing gasping sound that increased in volume and duration minute by minute.
The doctors and nurses were huddled in consultation after we pointed out this alarming development to them. Finally, they told us there was nothing they could do. We would have to transport the baby to a nearby pediatric hospital if we wanted care for the newborn.
At this point, granny—my mother-in-law and a retired Chinese doctor—stepped in and declared that nothing was wrong with the baby except that he just needed feeding. This is the same retired medical doctor who warned me to stop rubbing a cold can of cola on top of my head during the summer lest I would “freeze the blood to my brain”.
She said the baby would be endangered by being transported and that when we got to a pediatric hospital, we’d end up subjecting the baby to tests and procedures that would be of no use. So (with misgivings on my part), we went with the granny option as our first try.
After his first feeding, the baby’s breathing irregularity disappeared: never to be heard from again.
My wife stayed in the hospital for a few days. During this period we discovered one area of unadulterated excellence in the hospital: the billing system. The billing system was modern, efficient, and prompt. We were delivered a fresh, crisp, itemized bill each and every morning, requiring immediate payment.
The entire cost of the hospital stay and surgery was about $5,000 RMB.
While I cannot say I was pleased throughout the process, I can report full satisfaction with the outcome: a healthy 10lb baby boy.
When a child is born to a foreigner in China, he has the choice of filing for Chinese citizenship for his child or registering that birth with his embassy, in which case the child would receive citizenship in the same country as his father: Dual-citizenship is not allowed.
Foreigners living in the three international cities in China will have the option of sending their child to an international school, while those who do not will usually elect to home-school their children and there are numerous resources on the Internet for doing so. A good place to start your search, especially for American families, is Jon's Homeschool Resources: it contains numerous articles and materials for teaching children at home with excellent links to many other useful resources. However, in the vast majority of cases, most foreigners married to Chinese women with children seem to return to their countries of origin well before the child ever reaches school age.
Although there is much criticism put forth by Western media and various State Departments about the restriction of religious freedom in China, from the perspective of the authors who have lived and worked in China for years, there is more than ample freedom in China for foreigners to worship in any manner they care to. In fact, Beijing spent a small fortune building a multi-faith worship center in Olympic Village for all those who attended the 2008 Summer Games. For whatever internal domestic tensions or struggles may exist (and not one of us has ever witnessed or heard of any oppressive acts in regard to freedom of religion), foreigners who are not in China to convert Chinese nationals into Christian proselytes (or any other religion for that matter) will not have any problems whatsoever in this area.
Nang Tang Catholic Church in Beijing
In fact, the only difficulties the authors have ever had in regard to religious freedom in China have come from other foreigners who are self-anointed, lay, and typically hypocritical "leaders" of home churches in competition with each other, quick to pronounce who among them are "not saved" (which generally includes anyone who is not a devout and loyal member of their particular clan). Not one of these home church leaders or missionaries is ever ordained or recognized by any organized religion (either in China or abroad) and most are, in fact, poorly educated. Their understanding of the Bible is never informed by authoritative or scholarly commentaries, handbooks, encyclopedias, or concordances and neither it is ever established through accredited theological or divinity education of any kind (barring, perhaps, some short-term grassroots evangelical lay “preaching” course).
The government officially recognizes five main religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism and in some areas, the Russian Eastern Orthodox Church has a presence as well. Recognized religious groups are members of the Patriotic Religious Association (PRA) and are regulated by the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA). According to a poll conducted by researchers in Shanghai, 31.4 percent of all Chinese, aged 16 and over, identify themselves as "religious" in which 40 million classify themselves as Christian and 200 million describe themselves as either Buddhist, Taoist or worshipers of "legendary figures" (U.S. Dept. of State, 2007).
All large and most mid-sized cities in China will have at least one Christian church for foreigners to attend and they typically conduct several masses or services on Sunday. You may bring your family Bible with you from home for personal use and if you can't find a church in your particular area or if you are a member of a church or religion without a presence in China, "prayer meetings" among foreigners of the same faith are entirely acceptable and do not need to be registered. Bilingual Bibles and those translated solely into Chinese are available for purchase in most large bookstores.
As the average income in China has risen over the years, so too has the number of household pets. Owning a pedigree dog is now considered vogue among China's nouveau riche and, in the year 2007 alone, the Chinese spent $757 million (USD) on approximately 11 billion pets. Although most of the household pets in China comprise birds, fish and reptiles, there are an estimated 150 million dogs and close to 11 million cats as well (Chaney, 2008).
Depending on location, breed, and pedigree, pure-bred dogs can cost anywhere from 1000 to 1 million yuan (approximately $144 to $144,000), and there has been increased activity on the part of China's National Kennel Club (CNKC) in establishing guidelines for the registration of pure-bred dogs as well as promoting and monitoring dog shows.
Yorkshire Terrier enjoys a bath and trim in Beijing.
As the demand for services continues to rise, so too has the quality of veterinarian care and animal grooming services. In most major cities, one can easily find competent animal hospitals and even plush dog grooming salons. If you decide to buy a pet in China, it is best that you check with the locals for information about the most reliable animal hospitals in your area. Avoid buying pets from street vendors as these animals tend to be sick and are typically pumped up with large doses of antibiotics to mask their symptoms: They usually die within hours or days after being brought home.
If you have a pet in your native country and you plan to be in China for an extended period of time, arrangements can be made to bring that pet along with you. Many airlines do have provisions for shipping larger pets in the cargo department of their planes and a few will even allow small pets to be brought onboard if the pet carrier can be placed in front of one's seat. It is best to check with a travel agent to obtain a list of airlines with flights to China that allow onboard and cargo shipping of pets.
However, transporting large pets in the cargo department is only really feasible during those times of the year when temperatures are not extreme (as the cargo department is generally not temperature controlled). Although this is a controversial subject among vets, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) strongly recommends that pets not be sedated for the trip as: 1) it is felt that the reaction of the animal, if and when it awakens en route, will be far worse than if it is allowed to gradually acclimate to the experience in a state of full consciousness and 2) at high enough altitudes, the physiological changes from sedatives and/or tranquilizers may be enhanced often resulting in pets that cannot be revived once they have landed. For these reasons, due to liability concerns, most airlines will not transport animals that appear to be sedated.
Once you have made arrangements to ship the pet in the cargo department, the best way to prepare the animal is simply to have it spend as much time as possible inside the carrier it will be traveling in. Place its food and water bowls inside the carrier as well as one or two of its favorite toys so that it will become accustomed to and comfortable with that environment.
In addition to making the necessary travel arrangements, you will also need to secure all the proper health-related documents as well. Each city has its own regulations, so you'll need to verify this prior to departure but, as a rule, the following describes what is required.
First, you will need to have your pet's health certificate approved by your country's appropriate government bureau. For U.S. citizens, pet owners will need a USDA stamp of approval.
The following documents are required to clear customs and quarantine and it is suggested that you have the documents translated into simple Chinese in order to expedite matters once you arrive:
As a rule, pets brought into China from overseas have to undergo a 15 to 30 day quarantine period at a special facility set up by the city, but some cities, including Shanghai, will allow the pet to remain quarantined inside the owner's apartment after which (usually 30 to 45 days later) the quarantine station's staff veterinarian will pay a call to the residence to examine the pet. If the pet passes the examination, the owner is then given a certificate of health which allows the pet to be legally registered. The maximum fee for all of this is typically 1,000 yuan. When returning home, the pet will have to be brought back to the local quarantine health station within 15 days of departure for another examination and a health certificate will be issued which allows the pet to clear China customs and board the plane.
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