A newlywed couple holds their wedding ceremony on a bus in Fuling district, southwest China’s Chongqing city, May 12, 2024. (Xinhua)
CHONGQING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) — When 26-year-old Xiao Peng met her boyfriend on a bus in Fuling district, southwest China’s Chongqing city, the couple instinctively knew what would be the perfect wedding car.
“Compared to traditional wedding car convoys, buses are more environmentally friendly and cost-effective,” she said, adding that her wedding party spent the ride singing, taking photos and reminiscing.
However, such unique wedding activities are quite unconventional in China, where traditional weddings are often elaborate affairs with long car convoys, numerous customs and a long guest list.
According to a survey by Guyu Data, a data analysis and social commentary platform owned by Tencent News, the average cost of a wedding for young Chinese in 2021 was about 174,000 yuan (about $24,350), which is 8.8 times the average monthly income of each couple. A remarkable 42 percent of the couples surveyed admitted that their weddings went over budget.
Like Xiao Peng, more and more young Chinese today are distancing themselves from the elaborate formalities of traditional weddings, believing that by focusing less on customs and procedures, they can concentrate more on the experience, the feelings and the true essence of marriage.
Lin Mo, 34, who lives in eastern China’s Fujian Province, held her own simplified ceremony this year. “My husband and I hosted the wedding ourselves, and the main ceremony lasted only 10 minutes. During that time, we just addressed the guests and exchanged rings,” she said.
Lin believes that many Chinese people’s preference for grand weddings stems from their emphasis on “mianzi,” a term that describes a person’s sense of dignity or prestige. They always want to show their best side to others, she explains.
“I think weddings are very personal and not something to brag about, so we focused on our own experiences and captured what we felt was most important and had enough emotional value for us,” Lin said.
“Traditional weddings in China involve a complex series of ceremonies that are deeply rooted in history and can become impractical in today’s hectic lifestyle. A simple and personalized wedding is a logical and natural choice for young couples as it reduces financial pressure and enriches their experience,” says Mei Zhigang, associate professor at the School of Sociology at Central China Normal University.
China’s local authorities also want to reform wedding customs and have already implemented numerous measures. One example of this is the widespread practice of collective weddings throughout the country.
Ahead of August 10, the traditional Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, a collective wedding ceremony organized by the local civil affairs bureau was held in Nan’an District, Chongqing. Dozens of couples dressed in traditional Chinese clothing and celebrated the most meaningful moment of their lives.
“It saved us a lot of money and effort as we didn’t have to find a venue, plan the procedures or worry about unexpected incidents. The office took care of everything,” said Xiong Qi, one of the newlyweds who hails from Yubei District in Chongqing.
“Such reforms in wedding customs aim to avoid waste, unrealistic comparisons and corrupt practices such as vulgar wedding pranks. They are intended to make people aware of the essence of marriage, namely love and responsibility,” said Chen Wei, associate professor at the College of State Governance at Southwest University.
A collective wedding ceremony is held in Xinzhou District, Wuhan City, central China’s Hubei Province, on May 18, 2024. (Xinhua)
(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
