From several phones set-up on his desk in a small Shanghai office, marriage counsellor Zhu Shenyong live-streams advice to an attentive audience on how to save their relationships. Zhu's services are in huge demand.

Earlier this year, he went viral on Chinese social media for claiming that he makes 1 million yuan ($154,000) a year.

The number of annual registered divorces has steadily risen since 2010, reaching a record 8.6 million in 2020, according to Ministry of Civil Affairs data.