The bride, a 16 year old, named Xiaowu, told local newspaper that they only held a celebration, and intend to register their marriage once they come of age. These were her words:
We have known each other for more than a year; marriage was inevitable, so we decided to have our wedding feast.
Parents of both the bride and groom were in full support, since they were the ones who paid for the dinner.
Debate has continue to rage online over whether they were too young to marry, as respondents gave their opinions on the matter.
I honestly feel that the parents of these children were a little too hasty! These are just young punks, what do they know? said one
A commentary by the Chinese State media questioned the responsibility of such a step with these stern words:
Is it true love? Or just a game? Love is not a game, love is a form of responsibility and duty to family and society; we hope you understand this point!
Others have pointed out that early marriage was not unusual in ancient China, and that the practice is still widely accepted among rural communities. Though, current Chinese laws put the legal marriage age as 20 for women and 22 for men.
Often, these teenage couples either stay in their villages to work as farmers, or move away to become migrant workers – being married early helps to reassure families that their children will take care of each other as they head off to big cities.
But another reason could be a lack of sex education. People now have ever more access to cable TV, phones and the internet these days, exposing children to romantic television dramas from an early age, but in the same breath lacking the right education about sex and romance.
The young couples face legal complications and a difficult choice should they have children, because they would then have to procure a hukou – an important household registration document – before their child can attend school, receive medical treatment, open a bank account, or buy a plane or train ticket.
This will mean incurring varying levels of fines, depending on where they live, as their children would be considered illegal. It is a source of frustration for these couples who think the worst they have done is fallen in love.
Young couples in this situation complain about the fine, and say they do not deserve to be penalised – after all, they feel that getting married and having a family early is the normal thing to do. They do not understand why falling in love has to be so wrong!
What do you think? Are they too young to be married? Should there really be a restraint on young love? Hit us with your comments.
This article was adapted from BBC World News
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