BEIJING (Reuters) - More than Chinese 1,000 couples queued for hours for marriage licenses to wed on August 8, the date of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, state media said on Saturday.
The couples crowded marriage registration offices onFriday, the Beijing Daily said, the first day that applicationsto get married on August 8 were being accepted.
The number eight is auspicious in Chinese, as it ispronounced like the word "fa", which is part of the expressionmeaning "to get wealthy".
"Chinese people are keen to tie the knot on an auspiciousdate," Xinhua news agency added. "The opening date of theOlympics adds new meaning.
"Marriage registration offices in Beijing predict more than9,000 couples will get married on August 8 this year," it said.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Valerie Lee)
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