Home : China Guide : Guizhou : Marriage of Dong Ethnic

Young people generally marry at the age of 17 or 18. Throughout Dong history , the young were free to choose marriage partners of their choice, through singing competitions and other activities held especially during festivals. In the past 10 years, arranged marriages have become more common. Elopement also one of his relatives to visit the girl's family to apologize. A date is set to kill a pig; the young man then delivers it to the girl's family, thus "washing his face" of any impropriety.

If the sentiment is strong between an introduced couple, the boy will ask a close relative to go to the girl's home to propose marriage. If consent is given, discussion follows to negotiate the date of marriage. In some areas people consult geomancers to calculate the safest and most promising wedding day. In other places, a chicken is killed to determine whether the marriage will be good or not, according to the open or closed eyes of the dead chicken. If the answer is negative, some couples will break off the engagement.

After the date has been set, the boy's family will bring gifts to the girl's family such as ducks, fish, silver or gold. In return, the girl's family give gifts of cloth and embroidered shoe liners. The boy's family continues giving gifts to the girl's family until pregnancy occurs.

The last step in marriage is the ceremony itself which is celebrated in different ways according to region. Generally the bride is fetched by a relative of the husband, accompanied by the bride's good friends. Family and friends are entertained with food, wine and singing. In many areas, it is forbidden for the bride's family members to enter the groom's village during the first day's wedding celebrations.

Dong couples generally6 will not live together as man and wife directly after the wedding. The girl returns to her village and only during festivals, or heavy farming seasons, will she come to spend the night with her husband. After pregnancy occurs she will finally move into her husband's home.

Both husband and wife can divorce only if they first consult the village elders and after their families try their best to convince the couple to remain together. The person who desired the divorce must pay living expenses for the other partner. Children will be raised by both parents.

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