| The Wedding of Bai
After a young man and a young woman get engaged based on free love or with the help of a matchmaker, the young man's family must ask someone to erect a wedding tent before the marriage date.
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| Barag Wedding on Hulun Buir Grassland
On the spectacular Hulun Buir Grassland --, the birthplace of Mongolians --,, lives the most ancient branch of the Mongolian group- -- the Barag Tribe, which appeared in many historical materials prior to Mongolia's the unification of Mongolia.
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| Old-styled Han Marriage Customs
For the Han Majority Ethnic Group living in China's capital of Beijing , new- and old-style marriage customs exist side by side. This particular article will focus on the old marriage customs practiced by Han people in Beijing.
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| The Wedding of Bonan
The team accompanying the bride to bridegroom's family on the wedding day is composed of 20 to 30 people and usually the male are more than the female. At the beginning, an old woman in the bride's family supports the bride with the left hand and holds a plate containing grains of five colors, usually including wheat ...
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| The Wedding of Daur
According to Daur's custom, the fiancée's side has to send betrothal gifts on a luck day set beforehand. Betrothal gifts include pork, wine, cakes and so on, which are generally sent by the fiancé and a senior accompany to the bride's house. On that day, the fiancé's family will arrange a special dinner to treat the guests and their family members ...
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| The Wedding of Dong
The bridegroom's family does not have to prepare a bridal sedan chair, but send a way guide and another gift escort to the bride's home. It is until the midnight that the bride is escorted to the bridegroom's house. The gifts are simple, usually including 30 to 40 jin (1 jin = 0.5 kg) of pork, 20 to 30 jin of wine and some dishes.
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| The Wedding of Dongxiang
Influenced by the Islamism, marriages of Dongxian ethnic minority is basically decided by parents while the young pair have no chance to talk with each other face to face before wedding. In most cases, the matchmaker serves as the person to convey messages for the young pair.
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| Axi People: Enjoy a Simple Marriage
On the spectacular Hulun Buir Grassland --, the birthplace of Mongolians --,, lives the most ancient branch of the Mongolian group- -- the Barag Tribe, which appeared in many historical materials prior to Mongolia's the unification of Mongolia.
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| The Wedding of Evenki
Marriage between young men and women of Evenki ethnic minority are mostly based on free choice. After both sides agree, the young man's family entrusts two matchmakers to take two bottles of fine wine to the girl's family to propose a marriage. The matchmakers comprise one female and one male who are talkative and propose the marriage in the way of the traditional entertainment involving talking and singing.
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| The Wedding of Gaoshan
Gaoshan ethnic minority practices monogamy , encourages marriage with people of other tribes and forbids intermarriage among close relatives. Most marriages are based on free love. There are no explicit stipulations on marriage age, but men are allowed to marry after the adult ritual, and women, after they master life skills.
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| The Wedding of Kazak
Girls pursuit is a favorite traditional folk game of Kazak girls and young men, and also a special way for them to seek their sweet hearts and express their love.
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| The Wedding of Lhoba
Everything concerning marriage is usually taken care of by parents. In general, boys and girls get engaged when they are only seven to eight years old. Usually, the boy makes a proposal himself and sometimes his parent or the matchmaker does the job. After the two sides agree, it is time for engagement.
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| The Wedding of Maonan
The marriage custom of Maonan ethnic minority has the following features. Young women and young men like to sing to each other in antiphonal style on festivals or at nights of slack farming seasons; uncles in the father side enjoy much right and when a girl gets married, her family should give her uncle(s) gifts; the etiquette of marriage is quite complicated and features traditional flavor.
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| The Wedding of Menba
Menba ethnic minority generally practices monogamy. When a girl and a young man fall in love with each other, their parents will usually agree on their choice. In Menyu, parents respect children's choice of spouse.
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| The Wedding of Mongolian
If a Mongolian young man takes a liking for a girl, he should entrust a matchmaker to send gifts such as sugar, tea leaves and pastern that symbolize harmony, wetness and prosperity wrapped in a white handkerchief to the girl's home.
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| The Wedding of Oroqen
When boys of the Oroqen ethnic minority grow to 15 to 16 years old, their parents begin to look for suitable girls in the outside clans for them. If they pick out the suitable one, they will ask a matchmaker to visit the girl's family to propose a marriage. After the proposal obtains her family's approval, the young man has to take preys with him to visit the girl's family accompanied by his mother and the matchmaker.
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| The Wedding of Qiang
The Qiang ethnic minority mainly practices monogamy and the bride is usually older than her bridegroom.
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| The Wedding of Russian
Russian ethnic minority strictly forbids marriages between close relatives such as cousins but does not limit marriages with other brotherly minorities. Marriages mainly depend on free love. Although there are arranged marriages, they do not occupy the dominant position. In the past, matchmaker and engagement ceremony were essential.
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| The Wedding of Salar
Marriages of Salar young people should be decided by their parents after recommendation of the matchmakers. Though many young people now enjoy free love in life and labor, their wedding ceremonies are also carried out according to the traditional practice.
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| The Wedding of She
Among the ordinary people of the She ethnic minority, there is a practice of marrying a man into and living with his wife's family besides marrying a woman into a man's home. A man married into a signorine's family is called Zuo Nuxu and a man married into a widow's family is called Shangmen. Those sonless families prefer to get a man married into their families, and quite a lot of families with sons marry their sons into others' families and leave one daughter at home to get a son-in-law married into their families.
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| The Wedding of Shui
The Shui ethnic minority practices monogamy and does not allow marriages inside a clan. The marriage custom keeps much traditional flavor and values formal wedding. Before the marriage, young people may fall in love with each other in antiphonal-style singing activities and outings held in festivals or market days. Even if they prefer free love, they still need a matchmaker and a formal wedding.
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| The Wedding of Tajik
On the grassland, Tajik young men and women are often seen singing in antiphonal style. Since they live a nomadic life, many young people fall in love with each other through antiphonal singings.
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| The Wedding of Tujia
People of Tujia ethnic minority enjoy free marriage. A young man and a girl who fall in love with each can marry each other after approval from parents on the both sides. In some areas, there is a custom of Nu'er Hui, i.e. young people seek spouses in the gatherings held on 12th of every lunar July.
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| The Wedding of Uygur
According to the custom of Uygur ethnic minority, a young man and a girl who love each other can only get engaged with approval from their parents. Generally, the engagement ceremony is held within 15 days before the formal wedding. The young man's mother and other female relatives take gifts prepared for the girl and her main relatives to the girl's home on an appointed day. And, the girl's family also invite some friends and relatives and prepare tea and food to treat guests.
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| The Wedding of Va
A young man of Va ethnic minority begins to Chuan Guniang (drop around girls' houses and play with them) at the age of sixteen or seventeen. He can visit a girl's house by himself or together with other young men. Girls do not have fixed sleeping places.
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| The Wedding of Yao
The Yao people practice monogamy and usually don't intermarry with people of other ethnic groups. Some marriages are arranged by parents and a few are realized through free love.
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| The Wedding of Zhuang
In some places of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it is still popular to throw a ball made of silk strips in seeking a spouse. A young man and a girl who get to know each other through antiphonal singing and love each other even get married secretly without approval from their parents. If a girl finds a spouse through antiphonal singing and throwing a silk ball, in no need of matchmaker and betrothal gifts, making love and marriage of Zhuang people more romantic.
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