3.67 million Chinese couples were divorced in 2014, according to a report released recently by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Data shows that China's divorce rate has been increasing for 12 years since 2003. There were more than 55, 000 divorce cases in 2014 in Beijing, which ranks the first among Chinese cities.

Expert said some couples get divorced to avoid the high tax imposed on the transfer of a family's second house.

Lu Mingsheng, expert in marriage and family studies, believed that the main cause of the rising divorce rate lies within the accelerated pace of change in society and social attitudes. "Survival pressure and lack of social security will diminish the understanding and tolerance between a couple," said Lu.

Lu also said that the increasing rate extramarital affairs are a reason for the high divorce rate. "We learned from a number of law firms that more than a half of divorce cases are involved in extramarital affairs. Social media tools such as Wechat and Momo have become new threats to the stability of a family."