Nu Ethnic Minority Group, which has a long history and mainly inhabits Yunnan Province, Southwest China, has some distinctive marriage customs. Just like the ballad goes, "the auntie's daughter doesn't yield to others", the mother's brother has an extremely high social status, so the marriage between cousins has special priority over that of others.

There are some different marriage customs in Nu Ethnic Minority Group when compared to the average Chinese wedding. In some areas it is prevailing that men live at their wives' home and that widows are not discriminated by others if they get remarried. In some areas the homogeneous marriage was once very popular and girls were kept at home as the property of the family.

Busy preparations after vows of eternal love

Boys and girls are free to take part in social activities before marriage. If they fall in love with each other, they will present each other a keepsake such as a bracelet. Then the boy's matchmaker goes to the girl's home to make a proposal. It is an understood thing between their parents and they make a match.

Nu Ethnic Minority Group usually sets a day in the year of the dragon or the snake to hold the marriage ceremony, as the dragon and the snake are the symbols of good fortune in their concept. Several days before the ceremony, the men and women from each family of the village go to help the bridegroom to prepare for the wedding. The family of the bride is also busy with many things such as making the wedding gown, buying the jewelry, and inviting the bridesmaid and guests. Both sides present pigs to each other. If the bridegroom receives one pig, then he must present two. In Nu Ethnic Minority Group of Gongshan Dulong-Nu Autonomous County, the bridegroom usually gives certain presents to his parents-in-law and gives a farm implement and a pig to the bride's elder brother.