BEIJING -- Over 263,000 Chinese couples have benefited from the country's simplified marriage registry location rules since they took effect on May 10 this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday.

The new rules allow couples in the country to register their marriage at any eligible registry office nationwide, regardless of their household registration location.

Additionally, couples now only need to present their identification cards to get registered, eliminating the long-time requirement for household registration books.

Lu Zhiyuan, minister of civil affairs, told a press conference that the reform of marriage customs continues to deepen in China, with a more healthy trend taking shape at a faster pace.