SHANGHAI: A man in China who followed his parents into the sewage removal business has used nine septic tank trucks to greet his bride on their wedding day.
The nuptials, the first of their kind in China, unfolded on March 28 in Suixi county of central Anhui province, the hometown of the groom Pan Haonan.
The event trended on social media and a video of the proceedings was viewed 5 million times, receiving nearly 20,000 likes, the news outlet The Cover reported.
Pan’s father has been engaged in removing and transporting sewage in Cixi, a small city in Zhejiang, also in the central part of China, for more than two decades.
Pan junior, who is in his 30s, graduated from a college with a bachelor’s degree in film editing. He joined his father’s company in 2023, after his own start-up business failed.
While his father deals with receiving orders over the internet, Pan junior leads several workers to drive septic tank trucks.
Pan and his then girlfriend Li Yaqing were engaged in August. Li said when Pan suggested using septic tank trucks as their wedding cars, she thought it was a novel idea and agreed on it.
“Such a wedding convoy is romantic. I do not think his job is much different from others. He works hard to earn money. That is what I value most,” Li was quoted as saying.
According to Li, it was Pan’s parents who objected to the use of the septic tank vehicles.
“After I said it was fine, his parents also accepted it,” said Li.
The nine trucks were all cleaned thoroughly and decorated with red paper flowers before being put into use at the nuptials.
Two of them are owned by Pan’s company, the rest were borrowed from his industry peers.
Pan said he received blessings from his peers both on and offline.
“The peer from Hefei in Anhui wishes Faeces King Haonan a Happy Marriage”, read a banner hung on one of the borrowed trucks.
Pan said his parents initially did not support him working in their industry, as they thought it was a “tiring and dirty” job.
They later agreed after Pan’s persistent persuasion.
“I feel proud of my job,” said Pan.
“Although we do the dirtiest and most smelly job, the money we earn is clean. Compared with other occupations, our industry is quite stable.”
“As long as people need to eat and go to the toilet, we are needed. As long as there is a sewer, we are needed,” he said.
Pan said he drives the septic tank truck at work, but drives his family’s Mercedes-Benz after work. He earns about 30,000 yuan (US$4,300) a month.
“Thumbs-up for Pan Haonan. I think he is an upright and reliable man,” said one internet user.
But other people frowned upon his idea.
“I do not support him and do not advocate his behaviour. Getting married is happy, serious and sacred. He did that just to be eye-catching,” said one online observer. - South China Morning Post
