Chinese Marriage - A Grand Showcase of Local Traditional Wedding Customs

Author: Li Nan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The book "Chinese Marriage" is compiled in a picture-and-word format, covering nearly 20 provinces and regions such as Henan, Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Jiangsu, Guizhou, Qinghai, Shaanxi, and Xinjiang, and includes over a dozen ethnic groups such as the Han, Lisu,, Korean, Bai, Bouyei, Tu, Tajik, Dong, Miao, Li, and Yao. With the vast diversity of Chinese marriage customs, though not necessarily perfect, the scope is undeniably broad, enough to give a glimpse and understand the whole. Here is a splendid tapestry of folk customs, a landscape where the lens and pen intersect. Whether objectively described, subjectively experienced, lightly commented, or briefly analyzed, following the gentle stream of the pen, you can explore the vast ocean and appreciate the customs and beauty. "Chinese Marriage" is a picture book that showcases China's local traditional marriage customs and the charm of different customs. The book consists of over 20 groups of exciting wedding photography topics, rich in content and vibrant in presentation, comprehensively and vividly displaying the various wedding rituals and traditions across the land. It is illustrated and engaging, appealing to both the refined and the popular. Suitable for readers interested in traditional ethnic marriage customs, especially young readers.
Hakka girls must have their hair tied up and their faces painted on the day of their wedding. The bride needs to wake up early in the morning, dress in her wedding attire, sit in front of the dressing table, and carry a mirror and a calendar on her back, stepping on a bamboo sieve. Women who understand the "Imperial Calendar" patiently flip through the calendar on the bride's back, waiting for an auspicious time to tie her hair. Then another female guest combs her hair three times, using silk thread to pluck the hair from her face and neck. It is forbidden for girls with smooth faces, pregnant women, or widows to watch.
Before the wedding, the bride must cry in front of her relatives, a practice known as "crying for the wedding." This is a very special kind of crying, expressing feelings of joy while saying goodbye to her loved ones. As she cries, she tells stories, and if the bride has a talent for singing folk songs, she often turns her tears into songs. At this time, her elders come forward, crying along while teaching her to be filial to her in-laws and to cherish her husband. Relatives nearby "cry with her" or "console her," turning it into a performance of "crying skills." Locals believe that "crying for the wedding" is a auspicious symbol. Not crying is considered improper, noisy, or even unlucky, as it brings misfortune and hindrances in life and career. Additionally, crying for the wedding also means that the bride can receive "pocket money" (money placed in red cloth bags) from her relatives. The more pocket money she receives, the better her reputation among her family and the more beloved she is.
During the Hakka wedding procession, the matchmaker leads the groom and 12 young men to the bride's home. When the matchmaker and the groom arrive at the bride's home, the bride's family will block the door with benches and guard the other passages, a practice known as "blocking the matchmaker." This reflects the old attitude toward matchmakers. The bride's family sends a group of four to six young men and women (excluding brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law) to accompany the bride and the matchmaker to the groom's home. When the matchmaker brings the bride back to the groom's home, they do not rush into the courtyard but stand proudly outside the gate, waiting for the groom and his parents to thank the matchmaker. The matchmaker then makes up four-line rhymes, and at the end of each section, the groom's family must immediately present a "red envelope" as a token of gratitude.
In the old days, when the flower carriage arrived at the groom's home, a "returning carriage and horse ceremony" was performed. It was believed that the ancestors of the groom's family who had passed away would also come to see off the bride, so they had to be sent back. The ceremony was usually led by a Hakka chef, as chefs were well-versed in local red and white customs.