The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-05-04
AS IT IS DONE In CHINA.
Remarkable Customs at the Mar
riage of vice-COnsul 0wyang
King to Lille Tin 10y

The first official Chinese wedding
ever to take place in America occurred
or more properly speaking was cele'
brated-recently Mt the Chinese Con
sulate, in San Francisco.
The contracting parties are Owyang
King, Vice. Consul for the Chinese
Government in this city, and Lille
Tin 10y, daughter of Tin 10y, the
well-to-do merchant of Grass Valley,
Nevada county. California.
The bride is an accomplished girl OF
seventeen, and was born in Grass Val
ley. Her father, who has resided
there for the past thirty years, has
been lavish in his efforts to educate
her in the English as well as the Chi
nese language. She has travelled ex-
tensively in Europe, and has repro
duced on canvas many charming
Italian landscapes and English rustic
scenes that are still fresh in her mem-
DRY. In 1879 she went to China with
her father. and there received several
years schooling in her native tongue,
an exceptional thing among Chinese
girls. She is a clever musician, sin
gularly apt with her needle in fancy
work and accomplished in many other
ways.
Owyang King is thirty-one years of
age and was born in China. He came
to this country when young and grad
uated at Yale in the class of 81. He
afterward returned to China and held
a responsible position in the arsenal
at Foo Chow, and in 1888 was assign
ed to the Consulate at New York.
Three years later hewas appointed Vice
Consul at San Francisco, which posi-
ton he has held aver since. He holds
fourth rank in the service, n standing
equal to about viscount in England.
The wedding, owing to the official
position of the groom, was conducted
strictly in accordance with the old
time customs OF China. The knot is
tied by contract, which is regarded as
more binding than any other form,
and the ceremonies once over, there Is
no such thing as divorce or separa-
ton.
This contract is arranged by the
parents or guardian of the couple, who
are not supposed to know each otner
until the dav of the wedding. There
are many singular and interesting
features of a Chinese wedding when
conducted strictly in accordance with
the national rites, and all of these
were observed to the letter.
Five days before the wedding Lille
Tin 10y was brought to the city by
her friends and placed in solitary con-
finement in a room at the house of
Lee Hung San on Sacramento street.
There, in her seclusion, she patiently
awaited her wedding day, seeing no
one but those whose visits to her with
food were absolutely necessary.
Owyang King received his friends
at the consulate building, the old
Pioch House, on Stockton street.
From early in the forenoon till three
o'clock there vas one continual stream
of visitors to the house, and the Off
cial received each one with a low bow
as they passed before him and ten
dered their congratulations. Pres
ents, many of them costly and rare,
came from all sides, and these were
arranged for the inspection of visitors.
In the receptson room hung rich silk
banners, sent in by the presidents of
the Six Companies, upon which APP
propriate greetings were worked In
silver and in gold, and many expensive
articles of vertu were placed in posi-
tion upon every available table or
mantel, as they were left by friends.
AT five o'clock the Vice Consul was
conducted to the restaurant of Hang
Fer Low, on Dupont street, where
the leading Chinese merchants of the
city, as well as many from outside
places, entertained him in the most
~extravagant fashion until the time
came for the wedding ceremonies.
1t was just eight o'clock in the even
ing when the bride arrived at the con
sulate. The building was ablaze with
Chinese lanterns inside and out, and
right in the middle of the walk lead
ing up to the door burned a small bon
fire of scented woods. In every room
in the house were gathered Chinese,
clad in their rich attire of many col
ors. When the door of the hack was
opened one of the handmaidens of the
bride alighted and stood with hel
back to the door. Then a form, com
pletely enveloped in the folds of g
heavy red veil, which reached to the
ground, appeared and was assisted or
the back of the woman who had first
alighted. Then came what is known
as the ''go between"-the woman who
is supposed TO have arranged the par
ticulars of the match with the parents
of the contracting parties. She held
above the head of the hidden female a
gorgeous umbrella, and then, in thi,
queer fashion, the three moved tow
ards the honse. They walked deliber
ately through the burning embers-
this a symbol of purification-and i'm
mediately thereafter a long fusilade Of
f~irecrackers commenced. This con
tinued long after tue house was
reached.
Ascending to the third story Of the
building the two women made theil
way to the bridal chamber, where the