Moderate Wedding Gift Money 'Headache'... "Let's Pay the Price of One Geun of Pork"

A Chinese Village Giving Wedding Gifts Worth a Pound of Pork
"Rural Culture Values Emotions Over Material Wealth"

As the burden of high wedding costs continues in China, state-run media have highlighted a custom in a rural area where people give the equivalent of the price of 'one jin of pork' as congratulatory money.

On the 18th, the Chinese English-language media Global Times reported on a unique local custom in Longxia Village, Zhuzhou, in central Hunan Province. The outlet stated, "The villagers here give congratulatory or condolence money based on the current price of 500g (one jin in China) of pork when holding weddings or funerals," adding, "This tradition is simple yet warm, reflecting a rural community culture that values thoughts and emotions over material wealth."

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Hunan Daily also reported on the 'pork price congratulatory money' custom, explaining, "In Chaling County, Zhuzhou, if the price of one jin of meat is 10 yuan (about 2,000 won), people give 10 yuan; if it is 12 yuan (about 2,400 won), they give 12 yuan." Hunan Daily pointed out, "Since ancient times, Chinese people have valued gift exchanges, and weddings were important events filled with affection. However, with economic development and changes in social atmosphere, some regional marriage customs have deviated from their original course, falling into competition and extravagance." It further criticized, "High 'caili' (彩禮, bride price) payments, lavish wedding banquets, and cumbersome ceremonies not only bring burdens and distress but also somewhat distort the essence of weddings."

Known as 'caili' or bride price in China, it is the money the groom must give to the bride's family. Although it is a long-standing Chinese custom, controversies persist due to excessive demands from the bride's side. In rural Chinese villages, caili typically ranges from 100,000 to 200,000 yuan (approximately 19 million to 38 million won), an amount difficult for a single household to bear. Following numerous cases of harm caused by caili, Chinese authorities have launched campaigns to regulate high bride prices.

Meanwhile, like South Korea, China is also experiencing a decline in marriage and birth rates amid economic slowdown and employment difficulties. In particular, the number of marriage registrations in China hit a record low in the first half of this year. The Chinese government announced that it processed 3.43 million marriage registrations and 1.274 million divorce registrations in the first and second quarters of this year. The number of marriage registrations in the first half of this year decreased by 498,000 (12.7%) compared to the same period last year (3.928 million), marking the lowest level since 2013.

China's annual marriage registrations peaked at 13.469 million in 2013 and have been declining steadily since. In 2019, the number fell below the 10 million mark for the first time, recording 9.273 million (an 8.5% decrease), followed by 8.143 million (12.2% decrease) in 2020, 7.643 million (6.1% decrease) in 2021, and 6.835 million (10.6% decrease) in 2022, continuing a sharp downward trend. Population researcher He Yafu, who has been tracking Chinese marriage data, predicted that the annual number of marriage registrations this year will be the lowest since 1980.

Birth rates are also on the decline. Last year, China's birth population was 9.02 million, marking the second consecutive year that the number of newborns fell below 10 million. The total fertility rate last year is estimated at 1.0, lower than that of the United States (1.62).