Traditional Shaoxing Wedding Customs

When a bridegroom goes to his bride's home to escort her to the wedding, people will take several boats: a dowry boat transporting cupboards, clothes, and wooden basins; a boat with a pipe and drum band; and a passenger boat for those who welcome the bride and offer congratulations.

According to local custom, a wedding ceremony must be held at night. On the wedding day, the bride sits on a bamboo chair and is carried to a boat by four young men. The Chinese character “喜” (happiness) will be placed and the cabin is filled with all kinds of food symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. The indispensable jubaopen (treasure bowl) is full of cakes made of glutinous rice in all shapes, such as caps, pomegranates, bamboo shoots and evergreen trees. The words for these items sound like the words for good fortune in Chinese. Red candles are lit and firecrackers are set off according to tradition.

In ancient times, family members would set out to make rice wine shortly after a girl was born. Having poured the well-prepared wine into bottles, they would cover the bottles up with soil underground. They did not touch them again until the girl grew up and was ready to be married. Only before the wedding ceremony was held did the girl‘s family members unearth the bottles full of yellow rice wine. During the wedding ceremony, the bride‘s family members would entertain all the guests with the old wine.

Practical Information
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Wedding Programs A

• Shaoxing Traditional Wedding Ceremony on Water
• Organized by: Shaoxing Water City Tourism Co. Ltd
• Facilities provided: Decorated sedan chair, Wupeng boat, Wedding orchestra, Wedding gown, Phoenix hat, Rolled-silk ball, matchmaker.
• Contact: +86 575-88369963

Wedding Programs B

• Shaoxing Traditional Wedding
• Organized by: Shaoxing Bailing Wedding Service Center
• Facilities provided: Decorated sedan chair, Wupeng boat, wedding gown, Phoenix hat, and decorated wedding hall.
• Contact: +86 575-85115169; 88336169