Hui'an Nv—Beautiful Scene of S China
By admin on 2014-12-19

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Hui'an County is only 30 kilometers away from  Quanzhou. About 2-3 hours’ driving from Xiamen. The dress of the women in the  fishing villages on Chongwu island of Hui'an County is very interesting.  

They wear different-coloured jackets, which are very  short and narrow. Their jackets are so short that their navels are usually  exposed.  They also like to wear big bamboo hats to cover their heads. The big  hats and large kerchiefs on their heads shield their faces.

There are different sayings about the costumes of the  women in Hui'an. It is said that they might be descended from the Yue tribe of  ancient times. Hui'an people have lived there for generations. They seldom have  contacts with people outside. Today the women there still dress like this  because they want to preserve their traditions.

The clourful kerchiefs and  beautiful headgears

The marriage customs are most unusual. At a wedding  ceremony, the bride with a red cloth covering her head and face is led by a  bridesmaid to the groom's home. To the sound of firecrackers, the bride and  bridesmaid walk around the bonfire in front of the bridegroom's house to drive  monsters and ghosts away and to pray for safety for the family. When the bride  enters the house after the wedding ceremony, the groom takes the red cloth off  with a steel beam. Then the bride goes to the bridal chamber.

But the newly married couple is not allowed to stay  in the bridal chamber together. The bride usually stays with a neighbor or asks  her bridesmaids to stay with her in the bridal chamber or she sits at the table  alone until dawn. The groom has to stay at a friend's home for the night.  

The next day, the bride calls to pay respects to her  husband's ancestors and her parents-in-law. At the same time, she gives gifts to  the elder members of the family and the relatives. On the morning of the third  day, the bridegroom's sister leads the way to a well for the bride. The bride  carries two buckets of water back.

Within five days, the bride has to obey all sorts of  customs. After the five days, she can go to her mother's home. After that, the  bride will love with her parents. She is only allowed to go to her husband's  home on the Spring Festival, the Clear and Bright Festival and the Mid-Autumn  Festival. 

She will continue to do this until she gives birth to  the first child. Some minority nationalities also retain the custom that women  after marriage still stay at their parents' home. This may be a remnant custom  from the matriarchal society. There may be some other reasons for are reluctant  to leave their parents or because they are afraid of having babies. They can't  help their parents to support their families.

In the past, there were customs to keep the newly  married couples apart. When newly married couples met, they were not allowed to  talk. The woman looked at her husband as if he was a stranger. A woman would be  mocked if she broke her pledge.

In recent years, people in this area have had more  contact with the outside world and they have been influenced by the marriage  law. For these reasons, young people today refuse to obey old customs. They  arrange their marriage by themselves. Old marriage customs are fast on their way  out.