Two Chinese bridesmaids were forced to kiss strangers after being strapped to an electric bicycle, while other wedding attendees laughed and jeered.
The incident caught on video is part of a broader wedding celebration trend in the Asian superpower’s rural reaches in which brides, grooms, and their wedding parties are subjected to humiliation and sometimes lifelong injuries.
Chinese authorities, who have been trying to crack down on the trend since at least 2018, claimed this behavior was common and was initially intended as a way to lighten the mood for the marrying couple.
Be that as it may, the most recent video has been slammed as harassment, with dissent being vented by the country’s citizens and netizens abroad.
One of the women screamed while the other turned red with embarrassment
Image credits: East Meets Dress (Not the actual photo)
In blurred imagery, a person can be seen holding one of the women’s heads and a male’s together, forcing them to kiss.
The South China Morning Post, which captured the chaos, reported that it occurred in the Shaanxi province of northwestern China.
Image credits: Hassaan Malik (Not the actual photo)
It is noted in the original video that one of the bridesmaids was screaming in distress while the other flushed red with embarrassment.
Leading up to what has since been described as a vulgar act, a group of men converged on the scooter with the bridesmaids on it, forcing them to stay put, while others taped them to vehicles as it stood by the side of a road.
This behavior is common in the Chinese countryside
Image credits: freepik (Not the actual photo)
The report indicated that the fracas was witnessed by the other attendees, who seemed in favor of the performance, in fact, so much so that they started filming with their phones.
One of the bystanders claimed that the incident transpired over several minutes and that the groomsmen involved in the fracas were strangers to the bridesmaids.
Image credits: Keisha Kim (Not the actual photo)
The SCMP spoke to authorities and heard the tradition of wedding pranks, locally known as hun nao, is common in the Chinese countryside, and when executed with moderation, makes for innocent and safe fun.
But it does have a propensity for turning ugly.
One groom suffered lifelong injuries while another sustained burn marks on his feet
Image credits: Douyin (Not the actual photo)
Image credits: Yunus Tuğ (Not the actual photo)
In 2024, a bride from the same province was tied to a telephone pole while she fought futilely to free herself.
Nearly a decade prior, a groom suffered a similar fate when attendees strapped him to a tree.
He was smeared full of toothpaste and had fireworks set off between his legs, and a later examination would reveal cigarette burns on his feet.
Image credits: Weibo
In 2018, a groom was covered in ink while attendees lobbed eggs at him and beat him with bamboo sticks on his way to meet his bride.
In another hazing, a groom was subjected to lifelong disabilities, and the offending parties were ordered to pay him the equivalent of $14,000.
The practice caught the attention of Chinese authorities in 2018, and they issued a directive
Image credits: nguyen quan (Not the actual photo)
All of these actions stem from the cultural practice that was originally designed to ease the nerves of the bride and groom on the big day.
Given its propensity to hinge on harassment and unwanted intimate advances where women are concerned, Chinese authorities issued a memo in 2018—and according to the BBC, it was not the first of its kind.
Image credits: Getty Images (Not the actual photo)
The Chinese Xinhua news agency reported the extreme practice being condemned by governance which proposed a “guidance” toward moderation and simplicity.
It called on wedding planners to “integrate socialist values and Chinese traditional culture” and combat “negative social trends and wrong values.”
One citizen told an outlet that the practice wass buoyed by social pressure
Image credits: nguyen quan (Not the actual photo)
As reported by the SCMP, the trend persists and said authorities have become aware of it.
“Despite a citywide campaign against such vulgar customs, some people continue to ignore it,” it quoted an official saying in response to the recent incident.
A local citizen gave an on-the-ground perspective, explaining that: “In some rural areas of mainland China, social pressure silences people, and weak legal oversight allows vulgar pranks.”
Some think the pranksters deserve jail time
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