On this year's Valentine's Day Hu Yi and his girlfriend chose to celebrate it in a special way, by making a fake marriage license to mark their five-year relationship.

Hu Yi, from Wuhan city in central China's Hubei province, met his girlfriend Fang Qian in junior high school. They fell in love with each other in 2002 while in college, and both found jobs in Wuhan after graduation.

Why make a fake marriage license instead of getting married for real? "I can't afford it right now," Hu Yi told the Chutian Metropolis Daily.

"I can't afford to buy an apartment, which is the terms of marrying her, set by her parents," the young man confesses, "And what's more, I'm not ready for the monotonous family life."

Hu plans to quit his job in Wuhan this month and go to Beijing for further opportunities.

Making fake marriage license is not a rare phenomenon among young lovers, especially those who just graduated from universities. The fake license is very much like the real ones, except without the official seals and numbers.

The act of making fake license is clearly against the law, declares the local police station. And relationships "confirmed" by fake licenses are not under the protection of law.

Hong Weilei, professor with the Department of Social Sciences in Hubei University, offers his analysis.

On one hand, upon entering the society, the young lovers don't have the faith for the future or for their marriage. On the other hand, they are under the influence of traditional values of getting married at certain age. Therefore they use the fake license as a reminder of their affection, as well as a relief of their minds.