The largest women’s organization in China, ACWF, promotes the story of a couple who got married with just $1000.
| EPA-Yonhap News |
“We had a simple wedding at home without a formal ceremony. My friend’s did the makeup for me. We weren’t bothered to wake up early. Everything went simple, so there was no need for a troublesome preparation. Our relatives just enjoyed the wedding party. The total cost of the wedding was 6,000 yuan (around $942), which is less than the average wedding cost of 200,000 yuan (around $31,400).” A recently married Chinese woman, Xiaoriyu, shared her experience about her wedding.
On the 26th (local time), Reuters highlighted an article trending on China’s largest portal site, Baidu, discussing women who opted for a “small wedding.” The article discussed weddings with “3-No” principles, where traditional elements like car parades and groomsmen are omitted, and expenses are minimized based on individual preferences. Notably, an article promoting small weddings is still considered a novelty in China, where glamor is considered a virtue, and it amassed 1.85 million clicks within a day.
Reuters reported, “This article shows that Chinese newlyweds couples were exhausted by the expense and time required for big weddings. Changes include shrugging off rituals such as renting luxury cars, fancy photographers, and souvenirs for the guests, instead opting for a small-scale party for family and close friends.”
The article was published by The Voice of Women and issued by the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF), the largest women’s organization under the Communist Party. The ACWF is a national institution equivalent to the Ministry of Women and Family in Korea, playing a significant role in shaping and advocating for women’s policies in China. Why did China’s Ministry of Women suddenly publish an article on small weddings?
This is connected to the Chinese government’s concern about population decline. Last year saw a surge in marriages as couples who had postponed their weddings due to the pandemic finally tied the knot, resulting in a 12.4% increase in new marriages compared to the previous year. This is the first increase in a decade, but Chinese policymakers see it as a temporary “base effect.”
China’s population has declined for two consecutive years. Without a clever way to increase the birth rate, a further decline is inevitable. In March, China’s Premier Li Keqiang pledged to work for a “birth-friendly society” to promote long-term and balanced population development while addressing the financial burdens associated with childbirth, child-rearing, and education.
Boosting the marriage rate is a crucial step towards increasing the birth rate. However, young people in China today are delaying marriage and parenthood due to high costs. In February, a famous think tank in China stated, “Compared to GDP per capita, China is one of the most expensive places in the world to raise a child.”
The Voice of Women encouraged small weddings, stating, “From a social perspective, luxurious weddings are an outdated and financially burdensome tradition. Encouraging the adoption of small weddings will meet the demand for frugal weddings and help develop good customs.”
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