You might have heard of trial marriage, but what about trial divorce? It's happening in east China's port city of Tianjin. About 80 percent of the couples trying this are happily back together again.

The municipal Women's Federation finds that about 80 percent of the couples trying this are happily back together again after their marriages were on the rocks.

During their temporary separation, the husband and wife must not intervene in each other's lives or contact each other. However, most couples could not keep up the mutual silence. After a period of time they found they simply missed their partner too much.

It seems that absence really does make the heart grow fonder!

(CRI online June 29, 2004)