Cost of rural weddings too high to last

THE FIRST MONTH of the Chinese Lunar New Year is always the busiest season of the year for rural wedding ceremonies, which some families spend decades of savings on. Beijing News commented on Wednesday:

Some experts think the reason for the high cost of weddings in rural areas is the demographic imbalance which results in expensive betrothal gifts and the extravagant spending atmosphere.

But it is unfair to say expensive dowries and extravagant wedding ceremonies push rural families into poverty again. Even for young urban men and women, getting married is a major event that puts a heavy burden on both families.

In most of cases, a property and car are necessities for the bride in many people’s eyes. These assets are necessary purchases to attract a bride even for young men living in cities. So to some extent, even though expensive betrothal gifts are not required, the marriage burden on young men in cities is no lighter than their counterparts in rural areas.

But the difference in the situation between young men in cities and those living in rural areas is the former are more likely to have a stable income from professional occupations.

To tackle the problem of marriage poverty means reducing the cost of holding wedding ceremonies and the price of real estate. Fundamentally it requires improving the social insurance for rural population, providing necessary skill trainings and raising their self-development abilities.