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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
enables the marriage to be solemnized at a licenced place of worship, or to take place as a civil marriage before the Registrar. The Governor has the power to grant a licence authorizing the marriage to take place before the expiry of the 15 day period, or dispensing with notice altogether.
The validity of Chinese customary marriages is not affected by the Marriage Ordinance, and such marriages do not re- quire to be registered. The advantages of having an officially recorded marriage under the Ordinance and obtaining a proper certificate of marriage are, however, becoming very generally recognized, and marriage through the Registry is, therefore, becoming increasingly popular among all classes of the Chinese population. The total number of marriages in 1956 was 5,607 (as compared with 4,598 last year) and of this number 4,892 were performed at the Registry. This is the sixth successive year in which the total number of marriages registered has shown heavy increase.
In August 1956 a Kowloon Sub-Registry was opened in the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank Building, Mongkok. At present its functions are confined to accepting notices of marriage, taking affidavits, and issuing Registrar's certifi- cates, no actual marriage ceremonies taking place there.