Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1966-1967 — Page 51

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week. During the four and a half months while these Sunday facilities were provided 103 Sunday marriages were performed at the Registries.

141. Under Section 21(4)(b) of the Ordinance, where the Deputy Registrar is satisfied that he and the parties and witnesses all understand the Chinese language or the same dialect thereof, the marriage may be celebrated wholly in that language or dialect, and the great majority of Registry marriages are now celebrated in Chinese without an inter- preter. The form of marriage certificate incorporates a Chinese translation of the printed English text, but is completed only in English, except for the characters of Chinese names.

142. During the year eight additional places of public worship were licensed for the celebration of marriages under the Ordinance, bringing the total number of licensed places to 121. All marriages performed at licensed places of worship are registered at the principal Registry in the City Hall.

Marriages performed and registered

143. A record number of 17,846 were registered during the year, 2,313 more than in 1965-66. Of these, 15,980 were civil marriages— 2,069 more than in 1965-66-performed in the Registries as follows:

Hong Kong

Principal Registry, Hong Kong

Causeway Bay Registry

Aberdeen 'part-time' Registry

Shau Kei Wan 'part-time' Registry

Western District Registry

Kowloon and New Kowloon

Kowloon Registry

---

5,269

828

4

10

291

6,402

6,137

Farm Road Registry

1,678

Kwun Tong Registry

583

8,398

New Territories (other than New Kowloon)

Tai Po Registry

373

Tsuen Wan Registry

476

Yuen Long Registry

286

Cheung Chau 'part-time' Registry

12

Sai Kung 'part-time' Registry

33

1,180

Total

15,980

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