No Easy Wedding Ceremony for Jinpo People

In the vague moonlight, soft, melodious songs and music resonated all over the Jingpo mountain. A group of young men and women from the Jingpo ethnic group sang and blew the vertical flute affectionately at the foot of the mountain. The gathering is called "to string women" and is an excellent way for local youth to find their sweethearts.

Reaching a certain age, local young men and women usually visit their relatives and friends on festivals and weekends, communicating with each other and expressing their affection. As soon as the time is ripe, the man will invite his matchmaker, to go to the woman's home and offer marriage. If the woman accepts the offer, the two sides will set an auspicious day for their wedding ceremony.

The wedding ceremony of Jingpo people is sometimes held in the afternoon. The firing of three guns suggests the people escorting the bride in a procession are returning. In front of the procession are the man's matchmaker, carrying a red wooden box on her shoulder, and the woman's matchmaker, with new bedclothes in a basket on her back. In the middle of the procession is the bride who is surrounded by her maids of honor. The charming bride, who wears a short black shirt, a red embroidered tube skirt, and a pair of leather shoes, goes silently and shyly to an obstacle. Then her matchmaker leaves the procession immediately, gives the "guards," a group of girls, some wine to drink, some wedding candy and money. However, they are not satisfied with this and shout: "Don't let the bride go!" But the maids of honor already help the bride pass through the obstacle on the other side.

Editor: MetalAllen