The Marriage Law of the People’s Republic of China, promulgated and implemented in 1950, was the first fundamental law enacted after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Upholding the principles of monogamy and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children, the law legally safeguarded women’s marital rights. In the process of promotion and implementation, this law advocated for the establishment of the concept of marriage freedom across society, particularly among women, clarified a series of misconceptions about “marriage freedom”, and criticized or punished behaviors that hindered women’s marital freedom or harmed women. These efforts significantly contributed to liberating women from the shackles of the old marriage system. Although the law was replaced in 1980 after thirty years in effect, its important role in the history of New China and its enormous contribution to the liberation of women in the country remain forever etched in historical records.