China News Service, Changsha, December 1 (Liu Man) On the evening of November 30, the 2024 Fourth Hunan Chinese-style Collective Wedding Ceremony was held in Changsha. Under the guidance of the etiquette officer, Chen Jiancheng, the "new son-in-law" from Miaoli, Taiwan, and Zhang

China News Service, Changsha, December 1 (Liu Man) On the evening of November 30, the 2024 Fourth Hunan Chinese-style Collective Wedding Ceremony was held in Changsha. Under the guidance of the etiquette officer, Chen Jiancheng, the "new son-in-law" from Miaoli, Taiwan, and Zhang Shichun, the "bride" from Taichung, Taiwan, went through the process of offering sacrifices, passing the banquet, praying for blessings, joining the prison, untying the hair, untying the tassel, and tying the hair. Hold hands and wait for the nine rituals to complete a classic wedding.

"This is my first time in Hunan, and I came here specially to experience the traditional Chinese wedding customs and culture." Chen Jiancheng learned about this event from a Taiwanese friend who has lived and worked in Hunan for many years, and they planned to hold a formal wedding next year. I was attracted. Zhang Shichun said that at the moment of "husband and wife worshiping each other", he felt personally that every step left by his ancestors had its own meaning.

A total of 48 couples participated in this solemn and grand collective wedding that night. Four Taiwanese couples, including Chen Jiancheng and Zhang Shichun, specially brought local "wedding cakes" to share this special tradition with everyone.

Tian Jun, a young man from Xiangxi, Hunan, and his Belarusian daughter-in-law Tian Nami also came to the scene to experience it. Previously, a video of Tian Nami wearing traditional Miao clothing became popular on the Internet. "Although my wife is Belarusian, she particularly likes traditional Chinese culture." He hoped that his wife would love China even more through various experiences and become a friendly envoy for Sino-foreign exchanges.

In order to recreate the solemn and elegant atmosphere of the Han wedding ceremony, the organizer and executive team strictly followed the Zhou ceremony wedding system and paid attention to details. For example, the style of the wedding attire of the newlyweds strictly follows the ancient system, using black and red colors that symbolize nobility and harmony of yin and yang. The clothing patterns are all derived from the classic embroidery patterns of Mawangdui cultural relics; the gongs used to "welcome the bride" on site come from the prestigious Taiwan Linwu Iron Factory; the bells and drums played by the orchestra are replicas of the Shang Dynasty cymbals unearthed in Tanhe, Ningxiang.

Before the event, a senior etiquette teacher patiently taught the newcomers every link and action, and explained the cultural meaning behind it in detail. For example, the "Jiaozi Ceremony" represents respect for the elders and the inheritance of family moral character; the "Henuo Ceremony" represents the husband and wife's morality and sharing of joys and sorrows. Chen Jiancheng said that every exercise is a tribute to the excellent traditional Chinese culture and also provides a deeper understanding of marriage.

Hunan’s “Han Wedding Ceremony” has been held for four times so far, and the number of participants and the scale of the scene have increased significantly. Du Yushan, the organizer of this event and a mainland spouse, said that the gathering of newlyweds from Taiwan, transnational couples, and couples from Hunan and Hunan also conveyed the best wishes of "one family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait" and "one family around the world."(End)