St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-08
A CHINESE WEDDING.
A Curious Procession in Hong KonD-Hotc
the CeIestjdts Get Married.

A Curious Procession in Hong Ko'sJ-Hotc
the CeJcstidts Get Married.
had not been to the hotel here in Hong
Kong five minutes before my attention was
distracted by horrible noise, writes cor
RESPONDENT of The New Orleans Times Demo-
cyat Rushing to the front balcony / was
lust in time to see quite a remarkable we'd
ding procession. AT first, from the noise
and general style Of the affair, thought it
was a funeral, but soon discovered the diff
ference. A funeral procession is more
cheerful institution than wedding process
sion-with the possible exception, perhaps,
of the hired mourners. Besides this there is
one other difference: the corpse at we'd
ding is live one instead of dead one. L
think if l had my choice l would rather be
the dead man than the live corpse.
The inferiority of the female sex is one OF
the fundamental principles to which the chi
nese hold. Even Confucius does not seem
to have had very broad and elevated senu-
ment in this regard, for he is quoted as hay-
ing said "Of all people, women are the
most difficult to manage. Ii you are 1aml-
liar with them they become forward, and if
you keep them at distance they become dis
contented" Many women here are in the
in the next world.
But this wedding procession. First came
dozen musicians, who were beating gongs
and blowing fish-horns, each apparently with
out any reference to the rest. Then followed
q company of men and boys bearing flags
and lanterns, after which came a series of
gilded tables with deliberately carved and
painted canopies over them, and all sorts of
eatables upon them. The display of fruits
was quite tempting, and longed for slice
of the roast pig and the roast sheep. But
there was also native dishes which by expert
ment had previously found to be far from
appetizing. Thus far everything was ar
ranged as funeral procession would be, and
was composed Of the same features.
But now there was slight departure from
the funeral order Of this society. There came
a magnificent sedan chair, the windows of
which were thoroughly curtained, but which
was told contained the happy (!) bride.
This gorgeous sedan chair was followed by
others, aud also by gayly decorated jinrikis-
in which were seated the relatives of both the
contracting parties. More so-called must
clans followed, and the procession wound
up with load of boxes, which inferred
contained the marriage offerings, and per-
haps the trousseau of the bride.
Tor the native to capture his wife after
chase, and in any part of the empire the lat
ter becomes his property when the twain
have formally been made one flesh. Marri-
age usually takes place at an immature age.
In the great majority of cases the bridegroom
never sees his intended wife until the we'd
ding night, all negotiations being conducted
by go-betweens. This intercessOr lays the
suit before the girls father, who rejects or
encourages it just us he pleases. In case of
q favorable response, presents are exchanged
and after consulting the auguries, an en-
gagementis entered into In case piece
of chinaware should be broken in either
home. or an article be lost within three days
of the engagement, this is considered good
ground for the immediate dissolution of the
engagement
Astrologers determine the wedding day,
which is entirely beyond the control of he
pair. Theceremony takes place at the home
of the bridegroom to which the bride is es
corted by the groom's chest man," being
lifted from her sedan chair over a pot of
burning charcoal at the threshold
The bridegroom, meanwhile, is waiting for
his unseen dulcinea in a reception room,
being seated on a raised dais. Approaching
this dais the fair one prostrates herself hum
this attitude of humility he descends benig-
nantly to her level, removes her veil and
gazes for the first time upon her face. Then,
without exchanging a word, they seat them
selves side by side, and each try to sit on
part of the others gown, in order to deter
mine who is destined to hold sway in the
household. Three is no real occasion for
this, since there is tacit understanding that
it will be the man.
The trial of skill over, the pair proceed to
the ancestral hall and there worships heaven,
earth, and their ancestors; after which din
ner is served. The most singular feature of
the wedding repast is enforced abstinence
from all the dainties on the part of the bride.
Later in the evening the bride will answer
conundrums as they are prOpounded to her
by the guests. The wedding day is the last
occasion upon which the wife can enjoy the
society of her husband in pubic-one of the
hardest and most barbarous features of social
life in China. After the labor of the day no
citizen of the fowery kingdom can take his
wife and family for pleasant walk at dusk;
neither can he accompany her to Il picnic or
a public entertainment without violating the
proprieties. Of course these restrictions are
measurably broken down at the open ports.
AS if it were not enough for q woman to
secure her husband by such a leap in the
dark, the laws are such that she may be di-
yorced by her husband when he gets tired of
her, on any one of the seven following
grounds; Jealousy, leprosy, stealing, DISC
bedience to father-in-law or mother law,
barrenness, lewdness, and garrulousness.
But no offense which the husband may com
nit entities the wife to divorce from him.
Some women 60 into nunneries or commit
suicide rather than accept the burden of mar
ried life. Widows cannot remarry without
committing gross breach of etiquette. In
case extreme poverty forces them to such
disreputable measure, the ceremony must be
shorn of all the ''style'' that characterizes the
first wedding.