A groom in southwestern China who feared an empty wedding reception found himself surrounded by hundreds of supportive strangers after his online appeal went viral.
Twenty-four-year-old Xu, from Zhaotong in Yunnan province, recently posted a video on Douyin inviting internet users to his wedding banquet on October 31.
In the clip, Xu explained that he had grown up facing stigma and bullying in his rural community for being an “orphan,” a label associated with low social status.
He hoped a few online well-wishers might fill the seats, offer moral support, and give him a long-sought sense of dignity in front of his fellow villagers.
The video quickly became an internet sensation, amassing more than 600,000 likes and inspiring hundreds of people across the country to travel to the remote village.
According to Jiupai News, Xu lost his father when he was three. His mother remarried shortly afterwards, leaving him and his older brother in their grandmother’s care.
After their grandmother died, the brothers learned to fend for themselves, taking odd jobs to make ends meet.
After leaving secondary school, Xu worked as a construction labourer, a delivery rider, and a street vendor.
During three years of dating his wife, whom he met online, he saved 167,500 yuan (US$25,000) through hard work to cover the bride price and wedding costs. His older brother, who runs a modest sofa workshop, coordinated the ceremony.
Although holding the reception in the village helped save money, Xu worried it would feel empty with so few guests.
Hesitant but desperate to avoid regrets, he posted his village address online and extended an open invitation.
The public response far exceeded his expectations. Xu was soon inundated with digital red envelopes and messages of congratulations.
Within two days, nearly 200 visitors from across China arrived in person, almost all bearing gifts.
The gifts ranged from home appliances, roast pigs, and flowers to the services of private chefs. Some guests even arrived in luxury cars, forming a celebratory motorcade.
A farmer from Yunnan brought 100 hens, telling Xu: “We are your family,” while another guest drove more than 2,200 kilometres from Tibet just to congratulate him.
“I told everyone not to bring anything, that their presence was enough, but no one arrived empty-handed,” an emotional Xu told local media. “I am deeply grateful.”
Xu noted that although guests had to arrange their own travel and accommodation, he guaranteed every attendee a seat at the wedding banquet.
To prevent traffic jams on the narrow village roads, local authorities stepped in to manage traffic and moved the ceremony to a spacious cultural plaza. After the feast, Xu invited guests to tour the countryside and sample local apples.
One online observer commented: “Thanks to the warmth and generosity of internet users, Xu was able to give his wife an unforgettable dream wedding.”
“On the surface, Xu invited strangers,” another wrote, “but in truth, he was hosting a banquet for the lonely, helpless child he once was.” -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
