As a constant and active factor affecting population mig ration, marriag e has long been neglected. T his paper
brings to light of t he social sig nificance of marriage migration and makes an inquiry into its characteristics, patterns and
mechanism. It is thoug ht the marriage plays an important role in hast ening po pulatio n migration. While compared w ith
ot her forms of population migration, marriag e migration is dist inctive, showing its own char acteristics, such as irreversibilit
y in direction, shorter distance, age-long continuity, regional dispersal, gentler fluctuation in number, sexual imba-l
ance, and multiple factors at w ork. Althoug h the manifestat ion of marriage migr ation is complicated, its patterns are
clear, t hat is: pattern 1, w omen to men s habitation; pattern 2, men to w omen s habitation; and pattern 3, men and
w omen to a third place. It ist houg ht that both t he char acters and the patterns of marriag e migr atio n ar e determined by its
mechanism, because marriage migration is not only a kind of biological action but also a kind of social action, the former of
w hich determines w hether it happens, w hile the latter of w hich determines how it does. T he differ ence of men s and
w omen s social status, that of cities and country , and that of developed and backw ar d areas may result in abnormality of
marriage mig ration, while the socio- biolog ical feedback of sex ual imbalance and regional env ironmental deterior atio n can
g ive rise to some sel-f adjusting mechanism. In the end of the paper, based on a sample analysis, it concludes four tendencies
towards marriage migration in China: ( 1) pair-migr at ion is emerging; ( 2) the changing trend of urban and r ural reg
ional relationship of marriage is contrary; ( 3) ur ban island effect in marriage is weakening ; and ( 4) the potential energ
y between developed and less developed areas is still strong .