Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A sign of normalcy

Couples are tying the knot without a face mask in China

- NG HAN GUAN Caroline Chen contribute­d to this report.

BEIJING — Lovebirds in China are embracing a sense of normalcy as the covid pandemic appears to be under control in the country where it was first detected.

Chen Yaxuan and Dou Di exchanged vows in front of more than 500 guests in an unmasked wedding on Dec. 12 — a day called “double twelve” and considered auspicious timing.

Servers wore masks, but guests were not required to. They just had to show a green health code, showing they had only been in low-risk areas and not tested positive in the previous 14 days.

A year into the pandemic, most people feel the situation is under control if not back to normal. The National Health Commission reported just 27 new cases on Dec. 28, a dramatic decrease from China’s peak.

The first half of 2020 was a nightmare for the multibilli­on-dollar wedding industry. Many couples were forced to postpone their nuptials after large gatherings and events were banned.

It wasn’t until late April that a turning point appeared. Those who had to push back their weddings helped revitalize the industry when restrictio­ns were lifted, keeping the shrinkage of market below 6% in 2020, according to Zhang Yi, CEO and chief analyst of ii Media Research, an industry analysis firm in Guangzhou in southern China.

Ning Jingyu, the wedding planner for Chen and Dou, believes the future is bright. Her studio has organized 33 weddings in the second half of 2020, down 50% from the same period the previous year.

“The business is not as good as it was the same time last year, but I think it’s on an uptrend, considerin­g the amount of consultanc­y and clients’ demand for weddings,” she said.

On a recent morning, at least seven couples showed up for photo shoots near the Forbidden City, a historic area in Beijing popular for wedding photos, even in freezing temperatur­es.

They included Dong Yangfeng and Wang Sai, both 27 years old. The computer science profession­als had to cancel their original wedding plans because of the pandemic.

Worried that the pandemic might return, they decided to hold their nuptials as soon as possible. Dong said though that what their wedding will look like depends on the frequently changing virus rules.

“If the national policies allow, we surely want to have a nice wedding,” he said. “But if the policies don’t allow or if there’s a reemergenc­e of the pandemic, we’ll make it simple.”

 ?? (AP/Ng Han Guan) ?? Groom Dong Yangfeng and bride Wang Sai pose for photos near the Forbidden City in Beijing. Lovebirds in China are embracing a sense of normalcy as the pandemic appears to be under control in the country where it was first detected.
(AP/Ng Han Guan) Groom Dong Yangfeng and bride Wang Sai pose for photos near the Forbidden City in Beijing. Lovebirds in China are embracing a sense of normalcy as the pandemic appears to be under control in the country where it was first detected.
 ??  ?? Bride Chen Yaxuan walks down the aisle with her father during an unmasked wedding banquet in Beijing.
Bride Chen Yaxuan walks down the aisle with her father during an unmasked wedding banquet in Beijing.
 ??  ?? Ning Jingyuan, a wedding planner, supervises the setup for an unmasked wedding banquet.
Ning Jingyuan, a wedding planner, supervises the setup for an unmasked wedding banquet.
 ??  ?? Bridesmaid­s gather during a wedding banquet in Beijing.
Bridesmaid­s gather during a wedding banquet in Beijing.
 ??  ?? A couple has their wedding photos taken outside the Wangfujing church in Beijing.
A couple has their wedding photos taken outside the Wangfujing church in Beijing.
 ??  ?? Couples have their wedding photos taken near the Forbidden City area in Beijing.
Couples have their wedding photos taken near the Forbidden City area in Beijing.
 ??  ?? Chen and groom Dou Di walk down the stage during their unmasked wedding banquet.
Chen and groom Dou Di walk down the stage during their unmasked wedding banquet.

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