Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-15
Chinese WEDDING
Combination of Occidental
and Oriental Customs.
SCARLET VEIL oF BRIDE
Features Of the Ceremony Copied
From the American Form-Men
in Frock Coats.
From the Friend.

L rom the Friend.
A few days ago 1t was my good for
tune to be guest at a wedding the chief
| participants In which were a young Can:
tonese man and woman Of the more pro-
gressive type. The ceremony was not a
Christian one, yet many features were
| closely copied from the American FORM
The young bridegroom was at one time
| a student in the United States, and is
| now aid-de-camp to the governor gen
eral of the province of krongtung. His
father was formerly Chinese minister to
Cuba. and later n member of the bureau
| of foreign affairs In Peking Both parents
of the bridegroom speak English and
Spanish f'uent1y, In addition to their ma
tive tongue
When ] reached the house at about
100 pm. there was already a large coms
pany or guests present The walls were
gayly decked with scarlet festoons and
scrolls, on which golden characters de-
scrlDed the suspicious event, and every
where the word for happiness was dis
We're strung from wall to wall. and each
guest wore gilt medal-souvenir Of the
his coat - :,
The guests were seated on both sides
| OF a central aisle, at the head of which
small table was placed on q raised
| platform. Before this table and separated
from each other by the middle aisle stood
pride and bridegroom with their backs to
the audience.
Inc pride wore a scarlet veil which
covered her entire person, but one could
easily detect the gorgeous wedding dress
peheath, made of scarlet silk and elab-
ofately embroidered in thread of genuine
gold. The bridegroom, was dressed in
conventional freck coat and white vest
Western and Chinese Styles.
Behind the bride and bridegroom stood
the Twelve ushers - six men and six
wonderland the six bridesmaids ard ST,
eroomsmen-twenty-fo in all. The mer
were all dressed in frock coats, while the
young ladies wore light blue silk dresses
of Chinese style, and their hair was tiec
| up in foreign fashion with light blue rib
BON, altogether making a striking con-
| trast to the gorgeous costume Of thu
| tiful faces.
| One of the most pleasing features OF
| the occasion was the music, which con
sisted of foreign airs beautifully played
on a piano by the sister of the groom
After several pieces had been played the
four guests of honor arrived in sedar
chairs and every one arose as they wa ket
/ up the center aisle. These gentlemen
| were the governor general, the secretary
of war for the province and the commits.
| sioners of foreign affairs and education
the last being a Christian All wer,
dressed in frock coats
The governor and secretary of war
VINO acted as master of ceremony, sat a.
the small table facing the young coupl,
| and the audience. AT the ends of the
| table sat the two commissioners
| After musical prelude, his excellency
the governor. rose from his seat and ad
| dressing himself to the young couple
t1rr aiv1cy 6rCff 10 Al
| spoke of the relations of man and wife
and pronounced them married
Speeches, Wine and Rings.
He was followed by the secretary OF
war, whose short address was read fol
him by secretary. The two commits
sioners, who were designated as the wit
nesses, then arose and in turn addressed
some words of advice and exhortation to
the bride and bridegroom. Finally all
four, together with the bride and groom
signed the marriage certificate and drank
from four silver goblets of wine. The
ring ceremony was then performed
bride and bridegroom exchanging rings
hymn. Onward. Christian So'diers. -
was sung by the bridesmaids, then the
formal greeting between bride and bride
groom-not kiss. but bowling three
times. Then. turning around and facing
TIC aouiSHcc' StdiiUiHS Sue Dy SIDE, the
young couple bowed to the guests and
walked down the aisle between. the
guests. bowling as they went They were
followed by two of the bridesmaids.
they then returned to their former DO
sition After this a number of short dec
arations were read and a sort of bene-
diction pronounced Another hymn was
sung and the guests were invited into
an adjoining room to partake of some tea.
Old China is being transformed into a
new and progressive country The Gus
toms and manners of the occident are
creeping into the land, but always with
oriental notifications whereby their for
eign features are softened down.