Drink to double happiness

Hejin is an ancient ceremony held during Chinese weddings. He means join together; while jin means gourd ladle, which is made by cutting a gourd in half. As the bride and groom hold a gourd ladle to drink wine, the hejin ceremony symbolizes a harmonious matrimonial life.

Gourd ladles are the oldest form of hejin cups. Later, double cups were made allowing newlyweds to hold two handles and drink together.

Not many of these cups were made and very few of them have survived in a good condition. At the Palace Museum established in the Forbidden City, there is a hejin cup made of gray jade. It was designed for the weddings of emperors.