Weddings gone wrong: An ancient Chinese custom takes a disturbing turn

Weddings gone wrong: An ancient Chinese custom takes a disturbing turn

On November 18, a man armed with a sledgehammer was captured on video breaking down a door to a Shenzhen residence. But it wasn’t a robbery, because the people inside were expecting it. Those on the outside cheered with enthusiasm.  By smashing the door, this man was participating in one of the many wedding hazing rituals practiced throughout China. It’s all part of a custom that’s spiraling wildly out of control. Known as “disturbing the bridal chamber” or “rowdy wedding” (闹婚 nàohūn), depending on whether it’s a verb or a noun, these raucous nuptial celebrations have recently received lots of news coverage, mostly due to the injuries involved. The Shenzhen sledgehammer incident turned the wedding into a bloody scene, as flying glass injured multiple bridesmaids inside the house.

Last month in Shandong Province, a groom was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion when his buddies slammed him into the ground (they were trying to toss him into the air; the thud you hear in the video is particularly jaw-dropping)

And when they aren’t injured, bridal party members are shamed and coerced into humiliating acts. Past incidents — some of many from the past few months — include: 

blasted with fire extinguishers (take two), blasted with Silly String, being forced to get naked, smeared with hideous makeup, and getting thrown into the cold, cold sea.

tradition. According to a Shenzhen man who gave his name as Chen, door breaking is such a common practice that local residents are known to exchange their regular door for a broken one as a wedding day approaches.

Another local resident would only say, “You wouldn’t understand if you’re not from around here.”  As for the Shenzhen incident? The injured party asked for 60,000 yuan ($9,000) in compensation, but settled for a lesser, undisclosed amount after negotiations. Doors are easy; some traditions are much harder to break

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