I have wanted to go to a Chinese wedding since I moved to Guiyang, but all my local friends are either married, divorced, single, or not ready to get married yet. Going to a Chinese wedding means, that guests have to put their hands deep down their pockets and make some really expensive gifts. As I have been told, the expected minimum is 500 pounds sterling.
Many people are invited and everything is very luxurious, and to our eyes kitsch. You'll see the photos below. You may think that this looks rather like a brothel than a venue for a wedding.... Or is it just me, due to excessive consume of YouPorn?
Getting married is a big thing in China. People here are quite traditional and conservative and parents and relatives put a lot of pressure on their children to find someone to get married to and have children with. A bit like in the old days in Europe, especially in mediterranean countries. You may still find this mentality in some Balkan countries and perhaps in the southern regions of Italy, where people are very religious, traditional and conservative.
So, most Chinese put themselves into a rat race to find a partner. Soon after meeting someone, he or she meets the parents. If they approve, all is fine. You can take some time until the big day. If they don't approve, people usually split and try to find a new partner. Children here obey to their parents and want to make them happy, since they spend their entire lives with or near them.
No priest or something is there, but rings get exchanged on stage and the groom kisses the bride on the cheek for a fraction of a second.
People marry quite young, usually under the age of 25, have their first child a few months later, and many get divorced before they hit 30.
Despite all that, a wedding is something, especially women dream of and there's a massive industry organising events like this one.
I don't know either of the parties involved. I'm here with the musicians.
Welcome to the wedding of ....
The ballroom - still empty.
Food parade - the waiters came in through the door, walked among the tables on the left, climbed the steps at the end, walked down the catwalk, down the steps, turned right, walked through the tables on the right side, up the steps at the end, down the catwalk for a second time, and then brought to the tables to be consumed.
Some kind of weird soup.
The band - a Ukrainian, a Greek, a Russian, an Italian.
While we were sitting at a table, a Chinese man from one of the families went to the Ukrainian guy and asked for the band's name. The Ukrainian said: Ask him, pointing with his chin towards my direction. The Chinese thought this was the name of the band and said: Ask Him, is the name of your band?
Many people are invited and everything is very luxurious, and to our eyes kitsch. You'll see the photos below. You may think that this looks rather like a brothel than a venue for a wedding.... Or is it just me, due to excessive consume of YouPorn?
Getting married is a big thing in China. People here are quite traditional and conservative and parents and relatives put a lot of pressure on their children to find someone to get married to and have children with. A bit like in the old days in Europe, especially in mediterranean countries. You may still find this mentality in some Balkan countries and perhaps in the southern regions of Italy, where people are very religious, traditional and conservative.
So, most Chinese put themselves into a rat race to find a partner. Soon after meeting someone, he or she meets the parents. If they approve, all is fine. You can take some time until the big day. If they don't approve, people usually split and try to find a new partner. Children here obey to their parents and want to make them happy, since they spend their entire lives with or near them.
No priest or something is there, but rings get exchanged on stage and the groom kisses the bride on the cheek for a fraction of a second.
People marry quite young, usually under the age of 25, have their first child a few months later, and many get divorced before they hit 30.
Despite all that, a wedding is something, especially women dream of and there's a massive industry organising events like this one.
I don't know either of the parties involved. I'm here with the musicians.
Welcome to the wedding of ....
The reception room
One would have thought, that the parents would stand here waiting for and greeting the guests, but no, nothing like that happened. However, one had to go through the portal with the flowers and turn right to get into the ballroom.
Food or the Hound of Baskerville
The announcer
Ladies and Gentlemen....
Here he waits
Here she comes
Here he plays and sings
The families after exchanging rings
Traditional drum music
Modern pop music
While we were sitting at a table, a Chinese man from one of the families went to the Ukrainian guy and asked for the band's name. The Ukrainian said: Ask him, pointing with his chin towards my direction. The Chinese thought this was the name of the band and said: Ask Him, is the name of your band?
If you would like to read more by me, here are my novel and my diary from Ar'ar, in the northern Saudi desert. Both available on Amazon as soft and hard copy.
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