Mass wedding celebrates cross-Strait love at Qixi Festival in Xiamen

Dressed in traditional Chinese wedding robes, one hundred couples from both sides of the Taiwan Strait celebrated their union in a grand mass wedding on Wednesday, marking the Qixi Festival, China's equivalent of Valentine's Day, in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province.

The ceremony revived ancient rituals, blending Chinese aesthetics with Southern Fujian folk culture, as couples walked over charcoal basins and performed traditional steps like drinking from nuptial cups to symbolize eternal unity.

The event highlighted heartwarming stories of cross-Strait romance. "It is very lively, and the event carries profound significance for fostering cross-Strait exchanges," said Yang Yubin, a mainland local who met his Taiwan wife seven years ago. Cai Shang-cun, a husband from Taiwan, and his mainland wife, Zhu Li, participated for the second time, revisiting a tree they planted two years ago. The couple, who overcame a long-distance relationship between Europe and the mainland after a chance meeting, praised the cultural heritage. "Traditional rituals help young people grasp the meaning of family and promote cross-Strait harmony," Cai said.

The event also featured a matchmaking session for 200 singles, gathering over 400 cross-Strait youth and serving as a warm platform for fostering deeper cultural and emotional bonds.

Wang Jinghan contributed to this story.