Directive with Annotations
(November 26, 1952)

To all Central Bureaus and Sub-bureaus, with copy to Party committees at provincial, municipal, and district levels, as well as to military region Party committees; also to be communicated to the various departments of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, and to the Party groups of all organs of the Central People’s Government:

We hereby transmit to you the CPC Central Committee’s Directive on Implementing the Marriage Law (I). You are requested to comply with it without delay and to publish it in your respective Party journals.

The Central Committee
November 26th
[1]
On November 26, 1952, the CPC Central Committee issued a directive on implementing the Marriage Law, emphasizing the following points: (1) The primary task in carrying out the campaign to implement the Marriage Law is to publicize the law, conduct educational work among cadres and the general public, and foster a correct understanding of it. Ideologically, it is essential to clearly distinguish between the feudal marriage system and the new democratic marriage system. (2) The reform of the marriage system is an anti-feudal democratic reform, but it differs from land reform in the countryside and other social reforms. This reform pertains solely to matters within the people themselves and requires long-term, patient efforts; hence, rough or hasty approaches and methods of class struggle should be avoided. (3) March 1953 shall be designated as the month for publicizing and implementing the Marriage Law, with the aim of making it known in every household and deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people, thereby changing the prevailing social atmosphere and customs. Starting from December 1952, all localities should immediately begin making a series of preparations for the campaign to implement the Marriage Law. (4) It is recommended that people’s courts at all levels establish specialized marriage tribunals responsible for handling marriage cases. (5) The district people’s governments under the jurisdiction of each county (or city), as well as the people’s governments of cities not divided into districts, should set up marriage registration offices to properly handle marriage registration procedures. This constitutes an important measure for implementing the Marriage Law and safeguarding marital freedom.

Annotations by Mao Zedong to the CPC Central Committee’s draft directive on implementing the Marriage Law.