The Reform Of Marriage System In Langdai County In The Early Days Of The People 's Republic Of China

During the early years of New China, itwas in a period of social transformation.With the Marriage Law in 1950 was issued and publicized and implemented, a subversive reform about marriage system began to extend coverage from central to local. On November 26, 1952, Central People’s Government issued “implement provision of the Marriage Law”. On February 18, 1953, Central People’s Government issued “implement the supplementary provision of workmonth of Marriage Law” and set work-month in March of 1953. These documents propagandized freedom of marriage and equality between the sexes. According to the Southwest Bureau’s provision and the instruction issued by The People’s Government of Guizhou Province, Langdai County implemented 1950’s Marriage Law. It propagandized freedom of marriage and monogamy, and also prohibited bigamy. These actions impacted the traditional Marriage System to a large degree. According to a mass of divorce decrees from Langdai County, many women began to assert their personal rights via legal way. So, divorce rate rapidly shot up and status of woman obviously promoted. Therefore, the traditional Marriage System was replaced by the new democracy’s Marriage System. However, the political power was in unstable status and and the degree of education in Langdai was lower than that in somewhere else. Since the Communist didn’t made great efforts to propagandize 1950’s Marriage Law, it was a widespread phenomenon that early marriage, arranged marriage, suicide and so on. Although it was hard to eliminate the traditional marriage system in short time, this reform of Marriage System brought such valuable experience and it made us realized that the traditional marriage system was come into being antagonistic mix with the new democratic marriage system. Marriage system reform was a tough mission. Only when both ideology and legislation drove the new democratic marriage system, would it replace the traditional marriage system.On the basis of divorce decree of People’s Court of Langdai, this paper includes five parts. Chapter one introduces the cause of this paper, research status, research value, research approach and innovation. Chapter two recommends the 1950’s marriage law and the marital status of Guizhou province. Chapter three presents marriage system of Langdai County, and it contains the marriage legislation in the Republic of China, the traditional marriage system in Langdai County and the marriage system in Langdai County after issuing the 1950’s “Marriage Law”. Chapter four evaluates the marriage system reform in Langdai County, it covers reform achievements, the reasons of achievements, problems and the cause of problems. Chapter five concludes the contents of this article.