China's Wedding Industry: Happening Or Not?

Weddings are happening in China, and they are vibrant, colourful occasions steeped in rich history and tradition. While no two ceremonies will ever look exactly the same, there are plenty of common customs to expect.

Chinese weddings are not the place where vows take place, as this usually happens at a local government office before the celebration. The wedding banquet, or reception, is for the couple's guests and both families. The banquet is a lavish affair, usually with at least 100 guests, and is where the couple will exchange rings.

Chinese weddings feature many symbolic aspects that focus on blessings of prosperity, abundance, and happiness for the couple from both family and friends. Red and gold play a critical role in all Chinese wedding decorations, and red envelopes filled with money are given to the couple.

Chinese wedding traditions and their regional variations

Chinese wedding traditions are steeped in rich history and culture, with a focus on uniting two families and wishing prosperity and fertility for the couple. While there are some common rituals, China's diverse ethnic groups mean that wedding traditions vary regionally.

Traditions Common to Most Chinese Weddings

Chinese weddings are vibrant, colourful occasions, often lasting a full day or even several days. They are lively affairs, with firecrackers, loud gongs and drums, and sometimes a lion dance troupe. A child usually walks in front of the procession with the groom to symbolise fertility.

Red and gold are the most prominent colours, with the bride wearing a red dress, known as a qipao in Mandarin and cheongsam in Cantonese. Red symbolises love, success, happiness, prosperity, luck, fertility, honour, and loyalty, while gold symbolises wealth.

The double happiness symbol, pronounced shuāngxǐ, is another prominent feature, often included in decorations, stationery, and cake toppers. It is made of two connected copies of the character xi, meaning happiness.

The tea ceremony is another important tradition, where the couple expresses respect and gratitude to their parents and other family members. The couple kneels and serves sweetened black tea to their parents and other family members, who then offer them a red envelope with money or gold jewellery.

Regional Variations

While the above traditions are common across China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, there are also regional variations.

In ancient China, the bride's parents would choose a match for their daughter, with the help of a matchmaker. The matchmaker would negotiate the terms of the betrothal with the groom's family, including the dowry and betrothal gifts. The bride's family would distribute bridal cakes received from the groom's family to friends and family as a form of invitation to the wedding.

In some regions, the groom's party would be met by the bride's friends, who would not 'surrender' the bride until they received red packets of money. In other regions, the groom would be offered soup with a soft-boiled egg, which he would be expected to break, symbolising the breaking of the bride's ties with her family.

In some cases, the bride would be carried out of her parent's house in a wooden 'cage' with her feet padlocked, a remnant of a time when brides were often reluctant. A sieve and a metallic mirror would be suspended at the rear of the bride's sedan to protect her from evil spirits.

Three days after the wedding, the couple would visit the bride's family, where she is now considered a guest. A mini banquet is served in her honour, and the groom would bring a roast suckling pig as a gift.

The role of colours in Chinese weddings

The colours used in Chinese weddings are steeped in tradition and symbolism. The most notable colour is red, which is considered an auspicious colour in Chinese culture. Red symbolises happiness, joy, success, fertility, and love, among other positive things. As such, red is predominantly used in Chinese weddings, from the bride's dress to the decorations. The bride's dress is traditionally a qipao or cheongsam, a form-fitting, one-piece, long gown with a high collar and an asymmetrical slit on one side. The groom traditionally wears a Tang suit, a long sheath with a jacket, which is also often red.

Gold is another important colour in Chinese weddings, symbolising wealth and fortune. It is often used alongside red, and brides may wear a gold dress during the wedding celebrations.

There are also colours to avoid in Chinese weddings. White, for example, is associated with funerals and death, so it is not often used, especially in more traditional weddings. Dark colours such as black, grey, and dark blue are also avoided, though black is becoming more acceptable due to Western influence.

In modern Chinese weddings, other colours are becoming more popular, such as purple, pink, and peach, which symbolise new life and happiness.

The importance of the number four in Chinese culture

The number four is considered unlucky in Chinese culture, with many people actively avoiding it in their daily lives. The number is often associated with death and misfortune. In Mandarin, the number four is pronounced as "si," which sounds similar to the word for death, "死" (si). This phonetic resemblance is the primary reason for the superstition surrounding the number four.

Due to its association with death, the number four is often omitted from buildings, with hospitals and hotels sometimes skipping the fourth floor. Some individuals also avoid phone numbers, license plates, or addresses containing the number. This is similar to the Western practice of omitting the 13th floor in buildings due to the negative connotations of the number 13.

In Chinese culture, ancestor worship and the afterlife are important, and the number four's connection to death goes against these beliefs, contributing to its negative connotations. The number is so deeply associated with bad luck that it is often referred to as the ""unlucky number" in China.

However, the number four is not always considered unlucky in all contexts. In the musical scale, four is pronounced "Fa," which sounds like "发" (fortune) in Mandarin, leading some people to regard it as a lucky number. There is also an old Chinese idiom, 四季发财 (To be Wealthy All Year). In traditional Chinese history and other Chinese dialect groups like the ChaoShan people, the number four is considered a very lucky and auspicious number. It is an even number, and even numbers are generally preferred in Chinese culture. Additionally, many historical and philosophical Chinese concepts are grouped into fours, such as the Four Greatness in Buddhism (Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind) and the Four Moral Criterions (benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, and wisdom).

The Chinese wedding banquet

Planning the Banquet

Planning a Chinese wedding banquet can take up to a year, with the budget being the first consideration. The budget will be influenced by the number of guests, the choice of venue, and the type of food and alcohol served. The banquet is usually held in a banquet hall or an upscale Chinese restaurant, with the latter being more expensive.

The Menu

The banquet menu typically consists of eight courses and one dessert, with each course symbolising something different for the couple. The first course, for example, features 'Dragon Phoenix Plates' or cold appetizers, representing the union of the dragon (strength, creativity, masculinity) and phoenix (luck, beauty, femininity). The third course is fish and seafood, symbolising fertility and abundance. The banquet concludes with a dessert of Red Bean and Lotus Seed Soup, symbolising luck, happiness, fertility, and growth.

The Dress

During the banquet, it is customary for the bride to change gowns and accessories two to four times. Modern brides often opt for a mix of traditional and modern, fun and formal. A traditional Chinese wedding dress is a qipao in Mandarin and a cheongsam in Cantonese.

Entertainment

Entertainment is provided in the form of games and activities, including the Chinese Lion Dance, a symbolic dance to bless the couple with a long and happy marriage, and to ward off evil spirits. Another popular game is The Shoe Game, where the bride and groom sit back-to-back and hold one of their shoes and one of their partner's. The emcee asks them silly questions, and they must raise the shoe that best fits the answer.

Chinese wedding gifts and their significance

Chinese weddings are a lively affair, full of rituals and customs. Wedding gifts are no exception, with many traditional gifts carrying symbolic significance.

One of the most common wedding gifts in Chinese culture is the red envelope, or "hong bao" in Chinese. This envelope, which represents "good fortune", is typically stuffed with money and given to the newlyweds to help cover wedding costs and establish their new life together. The amount of money inside is usually at least equivalent to the cost of the meal at the wedding banquet, and new, crisp banknotes are preferred. The design of the envelope is also important—often featuring a “double happiness” symbol or a Chinese wedding proverb.

Gold jewellery is another popular and significant gift choice. "Something gold" is considered equivalent to "something blue" in Western weddings. Gold represents nobility and wealth, and giving gold jewellery to the bride symbolises that she is the most precious person in the family. Dragon and phoenix bangles, gifted by the parents or elders, symbolise a harmonious marriage. A gold pig necklace, often decorated with a "double happiness" symbol, is believed to bring fortune and fertility to the couple.

Mandarin duck jewellery or figurines are also considered a sure way to express your hopes for the happy couple. The belief that mandarin ducks promote love and faithfulness goes back many centuries.

In addition to these traditional gifts, modern Chinese weddings may also see the couple gifted home decor items, bedding, or kitchen items. Custom chopsticks, for example, represent happiness and abundance. A tea set is another popular choice, especially one inscribed with auspicious proverbs or symbols.

When it comes to presenting your gift, it's important to avoid certain colours. Red, pink, and yellow wrapping paper symbolise luck and happiness, while gold represents fortune and wealth. White, black, and blue, on the other hand, are colours of death and should be avoided.

Frequently asked questions