Nearly 300 couples who married in Shanghai on August 8, the opening day of the 2008 Olympic Games, have consulted about ending their marriage, a divorce consulting company said Tuesday.

Shanghai Weiqing Business Consulting Ltd, also called "Divorce Club," said most newlyweds asking about a divorce are young people, Oriental Morning Post reported.

Most couples married after only knowing each other for several months. They also admitted that they acted on impulse and felt regret now, Shu Xin, founder of Weiqing Business, told the newspaper.

Disagreements on the wedding banquet, apartment purchase and dealing with in-laws were cited as the main reasons for wanting a divorce, according to the report.

A woman surnamed Chen complained that her husband refused to hold a wedding ceremony in order to save money, which caused a massive conflict that threatened their marriage.

Another woman surnamed Zhang got married only after knowing her husband for seven days, the company said.

"I regret it now because I found he is addicted to mahjong and doesn't have any plan for our life," Zhang told the company.

About 7,185 couples got married in the city on August 8, the report said. It was considered an auspicious day as it would be remembered as the day the Beijing Olympics opened.

A Weiqing Business survey of 5,643 people found that 60 percent of divorced people thought the breakup was caused by extramarital love affairs. About 25 percent of those surveyed were upset after the divorce and felt regret that things didn't work out.

The 1st Seminar of Legal Rights in Divorce will be held in Shanghai next month. Experts in Marriage Law will give lectures and consultations.

(Shanghai Daily October 15, 2008)