Qiu Dahai (right) and Mu Qiongxian sit for their wedding photographs last month, while their daughter peeks out from behind a curtain printed with the Chinese character for "double happiness." Qiu and Mu both lost their spouses in last year's earthquake in Sichuan Province. Photo: Yang Shuhuai

June 30, 2009 -- Loyalty and commitment are more important than social standing and salary when it comes to the ideal husband, a survey has claimed.

Researchers from Sichuan Provincial Statistics Bureau solicited the opinions of almost 1,300 women, both single and married, living on low incomes in areas affected by last year's earthquake, the Chengdu Business Daily reported yesterday.

Of the married respondents, 95 percent said they were happy with their marriages.

Of those who were widowed by the disaster, 42 percent said if they were to remarry, they would seek a man who would "stick with them through thick and thin," while just 19 percent said their primary requirements were "wealth and background."

Yang Yan, a 37-year-old woman from Beichuan, Sichuan Province, told the Global Times yesterday that many people who survived the May 12 quake now had a different outlook on life.

"I cherish what I have and feel so lucky that both my husband and I survived the earthquake," she said.

"Although we lost our home, we still have our family and we are more united than ever."

Yang said that although she is currently living apart from her husband – he is a migrant worker in Mianyang – she had never felt so content with her life, or closer to her husband.

Jia Zhongcui, who lost her husband in the earthquake, told the Global Times that although she had considered remarrying she was not looking for Mr Perfect.

"I just want someone who will be nice to me and my 12-year-old daughter," the 37-year-old said.

"If difficulties arise in the future, it would be nice to have someone to share them with," she said.

The study by the Sichuan Provincial Statistics Bureau involved 1,290 women living on low incomes in 11 areas of Chengdu, Mianyang, Deyang and Guangyuan.

The low incomes were defined as 411 yuan ($60) a month for women in urban areas and 158 yuan a month for those from rural areas.