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Some people enjoy small, intimate weddings with just their closest friends and relatives. But for others, it’s a “the more the merrier” kind of situation. Xu Chenghong, a 24-year-old Chinese groom, believes in the latter. Unfortunately, his situation didn’t lend itself to a large gathering. Hoping to turn things around, he shared a plea online for strangers to come to his wedding, expecting 10 or 20 people to answer his call and brighten the mood. Instead, thousands of well-wishers ended up attending the celebrations.
Reports differ on just how many guests showed up at the wedding, as some say 10,000 people while others estimate something closer to 30,000. Regardless of what the final count is, it is an impressive turnout, particularly due to Xu posting his request to “fill up the tables” on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), only seven days before the ceremony. One of Xu’s concerns was that guests would be put off by the wedding’s remote location in a rural, mountainous village in the province of Yunnan, in southwestern China. Still, people drove, took the train, and flew in from all over China.
The chosen venue wasn’t the only reason Xu rallied potential guests online. His only close relative is his older brother, as his father died when he was only 3 years old, and his mother remarried two years later. After that, his grandmother took care of him and his sibling, but she too passed away two years later, leaving them to rely on the goodwill of their neighbors to survive. To keep himself afloat, Xu started working at a young age on building sites and factories. Thanks to this, he had saved enough money to pay for his wedding to his partner, whom he met online.
Despite his small online following, Xu’s video went viral. Touched by his story, people quickly made travel arrangements. While Xu had requested people to not give them the traditional cash gifts in red envelopes, guests found other ways to show their support for the couple. Volunteer chefs prepared a feast for the thousands in attendance, while others helped with the wedding decorations. Many more showed up with food supplies, household items, and even livestock. Others simply showed up early to offer their help getting everything ready.
The response was so overwhelming that the local government had to intervene. As such, the celebrations were moved to the town square, and arrangements were made for crowd control, traffic management, and food safety. There were also some other benefits to the influx of unexpected guests; local businesses saw massive boosts and accommodations in the area were all booked for the weekend.
Take a look inside this massive wedding in the videos below.
Xu Chenghong, a 24-year-old Chinese groom shared a plea online for strangers to attend his wedding, fearing few people would show up.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Despite the only seven-day notice, thousands of well-wishers ended up attending the celebrations.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Reports differ on just how many guests showed up at the wedding, as some say 10,000 people while others estimate something closer to 30,000.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Sources: Chinese groom invites strangers to wedding after fearing low turnout, well-wishers arrange gifts and a Maybach; 30,000 guests turn up to wedding after groom was worried they wouldn’t have enough people
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