Wu Jieqin and his wife Jiang Xiaohui

But to reach the altar, Wu had to overcome the opposition of Jiang's parents, aged 85 and 86, who feared he was too old.

But he won them over.

"His voice is very youthful. Not like an 80-year-old," Jiang, a retired railway worker and a Sichuan native, told the paper. "He's very romantic."

Wu said he plans to move to Sichuan to be with his new bride.

He likened their love to two well-meshed gears.

"As long as they are up to scratch, they can keep turning forever, and you don't have to care whether they're old or new," he told Beijing Morning Post.

In China, couples traditionally get married legally first and then hold a wedding banquet at a later date.

(Shanghai Daily October 27, 2008)