October 1, the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, was seen as a uniquely auspicious day to tie the knot by Chinese couples.

"About 1,000 wedding feasts have been held on October 1 in the city," said Chuan Hai, a senior host of marriage ceremonies in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.

During the remaining seven-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, more than 4,000 weddings will take place, Chuan said.

A Nanjing groom surnamed Mao said: "I feel happy and excited to marry my beloved on such a significant day."

Mao and his bride arrived at the registry office of marriage at 7:00 AM but there was already a long queue.

"Some early birds even rushed here at 1:00 AM, and brought them with a bench to stay up the whole night," Mao said.

"Our motherland's birthday makes my wedding particularly holy and solemn," said a bride surnamed Qin, who waved a small five-star red flag.

At the National Day weddings, many newlyweds decorated the places they went to with the national flag and the national emblem, under which they took an oath and exchanged their rings, Chuan said.

It is a Chinese tradition to tie the knot on festival days, which reflects newlyweds' desire for good luck, said Sun Liping, director of the Institute of History, Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences.

In Xiamen, capital of east China's Fujian Province, a massive marriage ceremony of 85 new couples of Han, Zhuang and Man nationalities from 17 provinces was held by the municipal trade union.

Before the wedding, the newlyweds payed tribute to their motherland's birthday through hoisting the five-star red flag and singing the national anthem.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2009)