EvenPq. Nla.

China Boy Meets Girl-They WedLand of New and Ancient

Marriage Rites

•InBy JOHN POWELL

Shanghai, China.

THERE i.. no place in theworld. .where the tn.titutiODof marriage hal a wid.r

range or greater variety of expre4-lion than In the republic: oi China,Where the dens •. population, con-silting of .ome 200,000,000 mal••and an equal number of femal•••relide in more or 1••• cona'lant Jus-tapolitioft.From the ultramod.m system of

•.mau-marriag.:' or the joining ofdozena of coupl.. at one timeunder omcial auspice. in the occl-d.ntaUzed ports. the mcmi~e CUD-tom varies to the moat primitiveforml. including ••spfrtt" marriage.in backward int.rior communiUel.In Canton several y1ltQJ'lago

Ihero Walla marriage in a pealontfamily where a daught.r WQllwed-ded to a tr•• , the luperal1Uou. JICU-

• n15 thinking that the .p1r1t of thebridegroom, who had di.d prior ·tothe time set for hiI marriage totheir daughter, had. laken up i••pennonent residen<:lt in a treewhich WQll .tanding in the yard.Th. widow waa expected to refrainfrom another marriage and to re-main virtuous for the remainder ofher me.Another inlerestlng .pirit mar-

riag. CUllom still prevaU. in theTsangchow .district of Hopei prov-Ince, according to report. of mi.-sionarhlll residing in that area.Here, according to the report, ItWall not unu.ual for parent. whoseIOn had died in infancy, or anytime before a marriage could bearranged, to contmet a Ipirlt mar-riag. with a daughter of anoth.rfamUy who had dl.d in Infancy.

•••There i. an important reason for

thi. .trange cu.tom of .ptrtt mar--riag... It ia the avenaicmto havingunmanied member. of the fcunilyburied in the fcunlly burial ground.Negotiationl betw •• n two famme.,one having a deeea.ad IOn and theolher a deceaaed daughter, oft.n.xtend over a con.iderable periodand are accompanied by ,eWiaticformalitle. which W1ually t a k·.place at regular weddings.In the easel of .pirit marriag",

how..,er, the wedding is tmmedl-atsly followed by two funerala.wh.r.ln the bodie. of the deC6Clledare laken to the fcunUy burialground of the boy'. parenti andinterred In formal fOlhlon with the\l.ual accompanimentl, including aband to .upply appropriate me1o-di••.In the mod.mlled clUe., such 01

Shanghai, Canton, Nanking, thenew capital, and other plac ••where occidental ideaa and cu.-toms now prevail, the institutionsof court.hlp and marriage - andalso divoNe";' do not greatly dif-fer from practiCe in Am4trlc:aandEurope. Cons.rvative Chin... elthe interior rural di.trict. and vil-lage., however, ehQJ\l1eIlowly cmdhabit. of an<:ient times Itl11prevaiiAn EngUab mi.l1oncuy residing

at Taingltlangpu, about 250 mile.north of Shanghai, recently told of

A con.,. nNDClDCeIA "eate ••.aam-r, ChlDcmUAlYenlty boyael tid ,,110 became lluUcaut

cmcI wif ••

a matrimonial mixup that waa notwithoul itl humorous feature.. Abride who· .•••alI being transporledin anci.nt manner in a covoredsedan chair to the home of hf'lrhWl-band stopped at a wayside teo-hous. to warm her handl and feet01 the weather WOl bitterly cold.While .he wa. in the teahouse an-oth.r marriage proceuion came byand the lS~nd brido at.o ent.redthe t.ahou... Aiter lOme minutesthe partie. .tatted out again. but01 the sedan chalrs wer. alik., thebride. by mi.take gOI in the wrongchairs. Thre. day. kiter. when thefamm•• of the brid •• w.re invitedto the homea of the n,ew hueband.for a feaat,' there Wetl general eon-.t.mation wh.n It weu diaeovt'r.dthat the bride. were not th.ir owndaughters. The mYII.ry finallywa. IOlvecl"hen the chair bearetllexplained the .top at the teahouse .Mutual friondl were called in. andafter considerable dlsCUllion it wa"decided 10 adopt a '=Ommon-.enae1I01ution and let the marriage..land,

UtUe glrJa ....-e-cl. th. brld •• IA «procMllon Mio'" the IDOIItrecentma••• cmI~ In Cato... Irld ••

vrooma at I••••

The.e in<:iden" t••ulted fromwhat I. now tenDed old-.tyle mar-riages, wh.rein the Qfl·angement.were made by parent., who uti-Illed the .emce. of profell1ona1go-betw.en,. g.omanc.I'lI, and for·tun. ~.ller,. Although .urroundedby much folderol, this type of mat-ing waa a .ort of bu,ine •• tranlae-tion betw.en the parena of theprincipa!l. neUh.r of whom hadenr ,een the other ane! neitherbeing conault.d about the d"lira-blllty qf the mench.Matchmaking und.r the old ar-

rangement must ha.,. providGdemployment for a con'lderablenumher of persona, because all.parent. with marriageable IOnaand clought.,.. employed one ormont go-bCltw.eenaor matchmakers.who .hopped czbout town or inneighboring town. for de"lrabl ••mate •.Courtship and marriage und.,r

the old lIy.t.m not only w.re ex-penlive but tilled with anxieti ••for botb partie. to tb. match. Itoften happened that after all n.90-tiationa had been completed by thego·betw.ena IOma fortune t.U.rwould forbid the marriage on theground that th. bridegroom hadbun bom in th. year of the lambwhtle the brielCllhad been born inthe year of the lion, thul makingthe marriage impoulble, becausethe ••Uon" bride would be <*rtalnto devour the .•lamb" husband. or

• at JeCIlIt·ma~. hi. Ufe unbeatable.

•• •Aecordlng to ••Th. Book of m..

tory of the Clauh:.:' the Chin•• erace in mythological tim.. livedproml.cuou.ly. children knowingtheir mothetll but not their fathers. .Lat.r came the submil.lon of onewoman or W'Omento one man, ,..sulUng in porental authority. Thellrsl lcnn dealing with marriagowere enacted in the Hala and YindynOltie.J. These permitted mar-riage betw •• n m'mblJl'lI of thelCIme clan: bllt the later ChOIi dy-naaty '101 tho 4rst to forbid. mQlloriage. b.twoen perwon. having thesam. .urname. In the f.udal po-flod th.re were law. forbiddingmarriage with five kind. of wom.n:(1) Daught.r of a reb.Woul houn;(2) daught.r of a cl1aofder1yhouse;(3) daught.r of a house producingcriminals: (4) daughter of a househaring memP.rs afllicted wi~ lop.'fOllyor oth.r incurable di.ea..; (5)daughter who had losl her fath.rand eldor brother. Marriage wasforbidden during the three yeara

A hr •• 11IM para. 01 Jmclo. ClAdItrldogzooma at tho neeDt CatoD.

1Il_ .-dcUD.tJ,

of mourning, and widows wereobllgfld to remain lingl •.

Th. Manchu dynallty, which pre-ceded the pre •• nt republican re-gim., palI•• d law. providing th<:rtlegal betrothals could be arrangedby tho patemel! grandparenta olthe couple; parena of the couple;paternal uncle of the father andhis wife; paternal aunt, .ilter ofthe father;. 41de.t brother; eld.et.Ister; maternal grandpar.nt •.

• ••Senre penalU.. were exacted

In the event the go-betwflona miz-repre •• nted the brld. or bride·groom; hence the marrlag& con-tract arranged by tho go-betweenand ultlJnately 11gned by Ihe re-ipec:tivo Par.nts referred in d.tallto any bl.mlahe. or phyaical infir-mitiee of the bride or bridegroom,their 0;.', if eUher had been bornof a concubine. and if .Ither hadb~n adopted. U ev.n a delCrlp-tion '11'0. found to be fmudu1ent themarriage could be annulled.Th.re were three •••• nUal con-

ditions to a mcmiage--a contract119n.d by tho parenti or guardian;acceplance of wedding gifts by thobrid.'. family; hringinll of the brideto the bridegroom'. hou... Afterthe go-betweons had mad. tho pre.limlnary arrang.m.n15 it WeDthencuttomary for the boy'. parent. tomake a formal off.r of marriage totho brid.'s parent., which eonsti-tIded the marriage contract. Th.nfollowed a "fi.it to the geomanceror fortune t.U.r to •• l.ct a luckyday. reel wore in proportton tothe wealth and aodci1 (official) pe-lition 01 the re.pec:tive fcunW•••hence an inadequate f•• might reo,ult in an unfavorable deei.aion bythe fortune t.U.r.A month before tho ~arriag. Ii

.•••01 cu.tomary for the bridegroom',famUy to .end to the bride'. fcunUythe material for the brid.'. dre•• ,pre •• ntl of mon.y, Iilb. win•• , andcake. of ceremony. A few daysprior to the marriag. date the

MaM weddmga bUY' become popular iA WHtembled dU •• 01 Cb1D.ct-it'. mcdAly CII ~atter of 10" coot. H.re cmt the bridal coupLe, Dei « 133-year-old wilD••• of C!WICI·. f1IlIt IIlCllNl weddiAg. aolelllD.kod ill HGD.fcbow, (P•••• "- PowlllL)

bride'. dowry, iroUlSeau, and fur-nitur•• together withgiftl from rela-Uvea and fri.nds. were carried to.the bridegroom's house. In theShanghai di.trict It otten WOl cu.-tomary 10 •• nd along two Uv.g •••••On the ev. of the wedding the

bride WOl expected to put up herhair, try on her bridal garm.nts,Ught incense before the .family an-c:eetral tablell, ane! kneel before

MCII'CIdIlg ill couple.. tbe bricl••ClAd)'dtl89fOCllUbead lor the cere-

meDIal Meave.

h.r parenti. grandparents, and•• nior relative •.Tho ritual of the wedding day

had to be etrictly ob•• rved. .vento the tune. to be played by theattending mu.ician. while thebride Wall bathing and donningh.,. marriage clothe., the outer gar-ments invariably being red, with.mbrold.r.d dragon.. A heavyv.n compl.tely co•• red h.r faceand head. A fri.nd of the bride-groom bearing a letter, regardedQI a' marriage certificate, arrivedto elCOrt th. bride to the home ofthe bridegroom. Firecrack.rs were.et off CIa .he loft the door of h.rhome and ••ntered tho Iedan c:tlalr,.All merobe,. of the family w.pt.Th. bride's brothers walked be.idetho chai... which alway. Wall cov-.red with .mbroidered red cloth.Ther. w.re more flr~clt.1'lI

upon the arrival of the pro.ceuionat the bridegroom'l house. Th8chair WOl carritld dir.c:t1y into thereception room, where a amol1boyllfted tho covering and in"fited thebriele to descend. meanwhile hold-ing a mirror in f.rontof the bride Inord.r that she might IMpact her-.eU. Th. bride WOl th.n escortedto I\.r room, where .he Jot by thelid. of the bridegroom on the edgeof the bed, thu. parmitting thebridegroom for the first time to lookupon the fac:. of his beiOYed. Itwas hil prlvU.ge to unfasten thltgirdl. which .he had worn fromchiidhood about her breaats, often

so tight CD to prevent th.lr normalgrowth.Lute,. the two proceeded lepa-

rately to a reception room. wher"th.y .tood before the bridegroom'.ance.lral tabletl, and afle.. obei-sance to the godl and each oth.rth.y drank a mixture of wine andhon.y from gobl.... tied togetherwUh red .Uk thread. then ox-changed CUp' and drank again.Then followed a feaut, at which thebride wa. nol expected to eat. Itwaa h.r. that h.r veil waa lifted.permlttirlg relativ •• , Ittendt. andthe s:niliUcto criticize her appear-ance and make all type. of joke.,u.ually unprintabl.. .On the thirdday the couple visited the bride'sfamily. where they alao worshipedat the anceatral tablets. Aft.r thetenth day tb. bride could .,illit herpar.nUl alon •.Child betrothal. were common In

the Manchu reglm., but when therepublic 'WQI elitabllibed (911) alaw was paused forbidding mar·

in red .ilk lack.ta and akim, andthe ledan chair would b. altogeth.er too dangerous for Shangha1'.cong.ated trallc. Inlltead a mod.er". ,American QutomobHe .~rvesthe purpoM 'W lIh a few ribbon •. andgarlcmdl of flow.rs. indicating it.objective. Also th.re are (to moreweek-long cel.bration • ...uh guo.1Ioccupying themsel v.. i~' 81tcesaiveoating and drinking, "oday onebanquet usually suffic.,. Also to-day the bride cl.reuo. in a otand-arcl wedding gown, wears a veil.<:UIrle.a bouquet, and i. attendedby bridesmaid. and Dower 'lirlm.

• • e

Th. \n.titutlon of •.malll mar-riage" Wall invented to cut downthe exc.lIlvely high co.t of mar-

. riag.. which worked a hardship onthe rank and file. Popularlly ofthe man-wedding icl.a, which re-d\lcelJ the COI.ltof marriage. to, amin1mum (average about $6 acouple), u shown by the fact that1,087' coupl.s w. r • married atShanghai edone in 1936. Thirteonsueh pubUc ceremonle. have hoenheld.Sbould China over .ucceed in

obtaining t u 11 IOverelgnty, thulmaking h.r divoroe laws iegal forall nationaliti.s, U probably would.be nece •• ary 10 r lrana - Pacifiastecune'" to greatly increaa. their.ervic... The reOion I. that Chinaapparontly hae outdone Rono, Mex-ico City. and. Pari. for limplicity ofdiVorce.Adultery. pnrvloualy megal for

Mod ••• ChlD.crt\anUItUm out thua. A bride ad brid •••. oo. who "ere"edded ill a C1Iriada church.

riage before the age of 18 for menand 16 for women.While much mocl1ficatlon of an-

cient CUltoml occurred of"r tho1911 revolution. which de.noYedthe Manchu dynaaty. mo.t ciraalic<:hange. followed the Nationallatrevolution of 1921.

e • •In the modern1&edport. and <:it-

iel. lucb CII Shanghai, Canton, andNanking, it now has become a c:useof the traditional four Btag•••.•.boymeets girl. boy falls in love withgirl, boy coura girl, and boy get.girl-in thi. <:ClIO the boy and girlmay be .tudentl in the same co-edueatlonal college or uniTersity.Th. pr ••• nt-day Nationa11lt iead-

er.. partlc:ularly Gen. Chiang Kat-Illek and hi. wife, the form.r M.i-ling Soong. Wene.ley graduat •.have dono ml,lch to modernize themarriage CUltOmlof anci.nt China.. No longer doel the bride dr•••

wermen only, ia DOWillegal for bothse:ces, the r•• u1tof a dramatic legalbattle before the legislative Yuanin Nanking by the Chine.e wom-en'. club.. Polygamy also I. lUo-gal and. with adultery, conatltutosvalid grounda for' divorce.Th. law of China it omlnou.ly

lilent on the subject of concubin-age. The reason for thl. signU-icant omluion i. that the practiceit quito g.neral cunong the w.al-thi.r cia..... On. won knownChine.. merchant, high offic:ial ofa chamber iGf comm.t(» at Shanq-hai, 11 laid tQ have 3S children re-sulting from one 'Wifoand a halfdolen coftcubinll•.While the subject of concubinage

it ignored in the cint cod.. !hiDdo.. not mean that concubin ••and their ehidren hene no legalltatua. COA. frequently come upin tho court. involving claim. ofconcubines Glnd their childr.n forparticipation in the division of es-

tat.. and usually luch claim. areallowed by the courts. Claim. ofconeubin ••.••• om. eightoen of them-belonging to a famoul North Chi-na general nam,ed Marshal Chcu"Chung-cnang kept the natlv. COurtlllof Tisntlin busy for •• veral yec:ira.Recently th.re Wetl a •• n.ation

in ecluc:'Otionalcircle. at Shanghaiwh.n Or. Tai Shuan-ehlu. dean ofthe Ic:hool of education of GreatChina univeraity, obtain.d a di-vorce from hilt wUe on the l.llOundthat •.he r.fused to wear nativewoven cloth and inslated upon buy-ing lmported material.. It de-

n•••two wer. ".elclecllD. gTCIldoccicl.IltCll ltile IA a Sllagbcrl

bote!.

v.1oJ)6dh. had prevloueJy divorcedthe lOme wlle- on .lmllar groundsa year prevloueJy, but had remar-ried h.r upon h.r promise to Weal'nati.e materia". tat.r the profe,-IIOt announc.d b. had found th••••girl of hia cl.rearnl," a .tudent intb. university, who had promiaedto Weat eirene. mad. 01 nativerather than imported fabriCl.It i. not infrequent in Shanghai

that adv"rtiam.nt. appear in thepapell announcing that ao-and-oo,IOn or daughter of IO-and-IO. re·fUBedto mCUT'Y th. person sel.ctedby the parents and declared ~ (orh.r) intention of mcmying the par-son of hi. chol",., evidence thatthe new •.boy m•• tl girl" lyat.1I1hall invaded China and i. dilj:llac- .ing the anetent ••light and un·.een" matrimonial m.thods of theance.tors.

"Dr, Ted Slula-c:hiu. 8JacmgW eel-ucotot. cmcI his de. "hom •••twice cI1'roJcecl becCNM abe .IA-alatecl llpoG weartq ganllutll

.ad.e of IMportocI fcdJrICllIo