The Great Qing Law was first created in May of the third year of Shunzhi (1646), based on the Great Ming Law, and then revised. It was revised by Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong dynasties before it was finalized. Since then, the laws of the Qing Dynasty have been implemented in the territory of the Qing Dynasty until the demise of the Qing Dynasty. However, after the demise of the Qing Dynasty, some decrees of the Qing Dynasty continued to be widely used in Hong Kong. This is because after Hong Kong was forced to be ceded to Britain, based on the common law followed by Britain, some decrees of the Qing Dynasty continued to be the only reference objects, and there were no other laws for reference.
1905, the governments of Australia and Portugal promulgated the Code of Customs and Habits of Chinese in Macao, recognizing that Chinese people get married according to their own traditional customs, as well as men's privileges and concubinage rights in divorce, separation and property management. 1948, the Portuguese government abolished the code of customs and habits of Chinese in Macao, stipulating that the civil relations of residents should be based on their nationality law. In order to clarify the application of laws by Portuguese and China people in Macao, a special decree was issued: "China people belonging to Portugal, including those who have acquired Portuguese nationality, are regulated by the Portuguese Civil Code, while those born in Macao without Portuguese nationality and those born in China are regulated by the China Civil Code in terms of family law and inheritance law."
In 1950s and 1960s, polygamy was still prevalent in Hong Kong and Macao. For example, men are allowed to bigamy and concubinage, and women have no inheritance rights. Hong Kong was not abolished until 197 1 year1October 7. Macao's marriage and family law, like Hong Kong's, has always followed the laws of the Qing Dynasty, but it was abolished later than that of Hong Kong. 1977, Portugal amended the civil code and applied it to Macao, and established monogamy in Macao, but other existing forms of marriage were still preserved.