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Newly-weds in NE China city shun September 18 for wedding ceremonies
It is a sign that Chinese patriotism is becoming stronger these days that many newly-weds in this northeastern city refused to have their wedding ceremonies on September 18, a day considered as a national humiliation. On September 18, 1931, Japanese troops blew up a section of the Dalian--Harbin Railway near Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, then accused the Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext and bombarded the barracks of the Chinese troops near Shenyang the same evening, thus starting a massive armed invasion of northeastern China. Historians call the event the "September 18 Incident". Japan then launched an all-out war against China for the next 14 years. September 18 is today regarded by the Chinese public as a "Day of National Humiliation." This year's September 18 not only falls on a weekend but also coincides with the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival,also called Moon Festival, usually a holiday for family reunion. Despite this, very few newly-weds have ordered wedding services on that day in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, say sources with hotels and companies that offer services of wedding ceremonies in the city. In the past two months, a wedding ceremony company in Harbin has generally accepted orders from seven to eight couples of newly-weds each weekend, sources said. "This year's September 18 is actually a fine day, but it makes me uneasy to have my wedding celebration on the 'Day of National Humiliation'," said a citizen, surnamed Wang, who had postponed his wedding by a week. "Although it is a little bit troublesome to re-schedule another hotel, it nonetheless makes me feel better," he said. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's Resistance War Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-fascist War. However, not all citizens think alike, as Wang. Actually, "9.18" is pronounced "Jiu Yao Ba" in Chinese, sounding like "Jiu Yao Fa" that means "I'm gonna have a fortune." Therefore, many companies choose this day to open their businesses. "We just need to keep the 'Day of National Humiliation,' firmly in mind. It is unnecessary to shun it on purpose," said an anonymous manager with an indoors decoration company in Harbin.
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