China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs wants to reform marriage etiquette in the country and even convened a special session. The reason for the move is the tendency of recent years to hold extravagant weddings and pay high „bride prices“.
Plans of a Chinese bride for a dream wedding, as wonderful as her groom can afford, are likely to be shelved soon. The Chinese authorities do not see extravagant and costly ceremonies in harmony with national moral values and want to ban them.
In addition, the Chinese government is worried about rising „bride prices,“ which are seen as a gesture of goodwill between the two families. In the process, the groom’s family pays a kind of dowry to their future relatives on the bride’s side. Another problem is the trend for couples to invite celebrities and influential people to their big day to stand out from their guests.
To combat all such practices, the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs convened a special meeting last week in Jinan, Shandong Province, where officials from various parts of the country decided that marriage etiquette should be reformed.
Instead of lavish parties, the authorities want to encourage people to celebrate the event in a more traditional and therefore more economical way. In addition, weddings should „better reflect“ the values and goals of the country, thereby translating the political ideology known as „Xi Jinping’s ideas of Chinese-style socialism in the new era.“
Marriages can be such a heavy financial burden that sometimes the groom’s family falls into heavy debts. Pricing for a Chinese dream wedding is reportedly starting at 100,000 yuan (about $ 14,500), and some are even more expensive. According to CGTN, an 18-year-old young woman in China’s eastern Fujian Province received 2.88 million yuan ($ 400,000) last year as a gift for her engagement.
