This paper explores patterns and determinants of marital satisfaction using data from "The Marriage Life Satisfaction Survey"conducted by the authors in 2010 in Shandong province． Survey results show that 93% of the couples in the survey are satisfied with their marriage.Marital satisfaction varies with age，marital duration，gender，occupation，education，marital status，income，health status，values about marriage，values about sharing household chores，communication time between couples，and number of children，while communication time between couples，values about marriage，status of marriage (first marriage vs remarriage) and health status are the significant factors influencing marital satisfaction.Couples spending more time on communication and with better health are more satisfied with their marriage;first time marriage couples have higher marital satisfaction than remarried couples;couples opposing to the concept that "couples should divorce when love disappears" and agreeing with that"wife should take more responsibility of housework"，have higher marital satisfaction." Conservative" values regarding marriage and family are important determinants of higher marital satisfaction and higher stability of families in Shading Province.