Wedding Customs
01 · Historical Records
The genealogies of the various She lineages of Xiapu show that in the early and mid-Ming dynasty, large numbers of She people poured into the eastern Fujian region, including present-day Xiapu County, Lianjiang County, Luoyuan County, and Fu'an City in Fujian Province. The bride's phoenix headdress, the phoenix-style hair ornaments and costume, and the phoenix totem decorations in the bridal chamber all derive from the She people's belief in the legend that their ethnicity originated at Phoenix Mountain in Chaozhou.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The She people have a long history; according to written records, around the time of the Sui and Tang dynasties they already lived in the mountain areas at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi provinces. Xiapu She marriage customs mainly comprise the following stages. Betrothal: after the love relationship is established, the auspicious hour and day for the wedding are settled through the procedures of proposing the match (tiqin), visiting the house (kanliao), requesting the birth-date slip (tao gengtie), matching the horoscopes (hehun), the small betrothal, and the grand betrothal. Before her wedding, the bride-to-be goes to her maternal uncle's home to 'act as elder cousin' (zuo biaojie). On the eve of the wedding, the bride sings a weeping-bride song to her parents in farewell. Fetching the bride: the party escorting the bride must pass five trials before it can receive the bride — blocking the road with fir thorns to demand antiphonal singing, drinking the pagoda tea, the shoe-removal rite, making things difficult for the groom's uncle (nanwei qinjiabo), and digging at the stone cave to demand lucky money. Before leaving the house, the bride performs the 'weeping dispersal' (ti fensan), eats the 'thousand-jin rice' and 'divides the chopsticks'; as the sedan chair sets out there is 'detaining the sedan to keep the divided water'; after setting out there are 'splashing water' and 'distributing spending money'. The wedding itself comprises such stages as grabbing the dowry, bowing in the hall, stepping on the red bags, meeting the Eight Immortals, offering tea to beg for silver from a hundred families, searching for the phoenix egg, and the new wife's approach to the stove. Returning to the natal home: the newlyweds go back to the bride's parents' home to be 'first-turn guests' (tou zhuan ke), staying for a few days before returning to the husband's family. Song runs through the entire marriage process: falling in love, making friends, and completing the wedding all rely on singing, reflecting the She people's proficiency in song and dance. The custom that 'the groom bows but the bride does not' reflects the She people's esteem for the status of women and a deep influence of matrilineal clan culture. Special segments such as 'acting as elder cousin' and 'making things difficult for the groom's uncle' display the warm hospitality and plain, unadorned character and culture of the She people. She marriage customs in eastern Fujian run through the entire process by means of song: from falling in love and making friends to completing the wedding, everything depends on singing, so the order of the rites is likewise arranged according to the sections of the singing. The betrothal stage alone has six steps — proposing the match, visiting the house, requesting the birth-date slip, matching the horoscopes, the small betrothal, and the grand betrothal; before her wedding the bride-to-be goes to her maternal uncle's home to act as elder cousin, and the night before she sings a weeping-bride song to her parents in farewell; fetching the bride must pass five trials; the return to the natal home is as a first-turn guest, staying a few days before returning to the husband's family. The whole set of rites runs through with song, using it to pledge love, make friends, and complete the wedding, reflecting the She people's proficiency in song and dance. The custom that the groom bows but the bride does not reflects the She people's esteem for the status of women and a deep influence of matrilineal clan culture; special segments such as acting as elder cousin and making things difficult for the groom's uncle display the warm hospitality and plain, unadorned character and culture of the She people. The phoenix headdress worn by the bride, the phoenix-style hair ornaments and costume, and the phoenix totem decorations in the bridal chamber all derive from the She people's belief in the legend that their ethnicity originated at Phoenix Mountain in Chaozhou; the genealogies of the various She lineages of Xiapu show that in the early and mid-Ming dynasty, large numbers of She people poured into the eastern Fujian region, including present-day Xiapu County, Lianjiang County, Luoyuan County, and Fu'an City in Fujian Province.
The six steps of betrothal
After the courtship is settled, the families go through proposal, seeing the house, exchanging the birth date, divination, small and great betrothal, and pick a day.
Going to the maternal uncle as cousin
Before leaving, the bride goes to her maternal uncle's house to serve as cousin, spending time there before the wedding.
The farewell song
On the eve of the wedding the bride sings farewell with her parents, and the room weeps until late, though morning brings dressing and departure.
Five gates for the groom's party
Five gates in turn: brambles and song, the tower tea, the shoe ceremony, teasing the elder and digging coins from the stone cave.
Crying off and sharing the chopsticks
Weeping, the thousand-jin meal, the divided chopsticks, the sedan blocked and water thrown: each gesture repeats that a new household begins.
Searching for the phoenix egg
Searching for the phoenix egg follows the legend behind the bride's phoenix headdress, and she serves tea household by household for their silver.
The groom bows, the bride does not
Only the groom bows at the ceremony, the bride stands; the rule reflects the high standing of women in She custom.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
She marriage customs in eastern Fujian integrate folk song, dance, belief, costume, ritual, and food, and have a rigorous and complete body of marriage and wedding observances; they display the spiritual content of the ethnicity and regional cultural characteristics, and possess considerable socio-cultural value.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs · Wedding Customs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present, the She people of the eastern Fujian region account for about one quarter of the total She population of China and one half of the She population of Fujian Province. Xiapu County is the second largest county of She residence in the eastern Fujian region; its Chongru She Township, Shimen She Township, and Yantian She Township transmit the full series of rituals and customs of traditional She marriage customs in eastern Fujian in relatively complete form. She marriage customs in eastern Fujian are like a grand feast of She culture, integrating numerous traditional cultural elements such as folk song, dance, costume, and ritual; with a relatively rigorous and complete body of observances, they are an important vehicle for the transmission of She culture.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Anfucheng 04-1986
- Mojinghai 05-3058
- Lan Yugen 05-3059
- Lei Qisong
- Wu Yumei
- Fang Weihua
- Guojinglin
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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