‘Married’ at 13: Chinese child bride sent back to school after marrying 17-year-old boy, but families give union their blessing
Mandy Zuo in Shanghai
Published: 12:37pm, 1 Dec, 2020
Why you can trust SCMP
207
5
A still from a viral video clip showing a 17-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl taking part in a formal wedding ceremony in Shantou, Guangdong province, China. Photo: YouTube
As honeymoons go, they do not get much briefer than this, but when the bride is a 13-year-old girl from southern China who has been ordered to go back to school, you can understand why it was suddenly cut short.
The 13-year-old got married to a 17-year-old boy in a formal ceremony based on local customs last week after they had a romantic relationship for more than a year, the Guiyu township government in Shantou, Guangdong province, said in a statement over the weekend.
By Chinese law, a man has to be at least 22 years old to get married and a woman at least 20. The pair now plan to get an official marriage registration when they are old enough, as many child couples do in rural China.
- The teenagers were married in a ceremony based on local customs in Guangdong after they met online and developed a romantic relationship
- Local government intervened after a video clip of their wedding went viral last week and the girl was told to return to school
Mandy Zuo in Shanghai
Published: 12:37pm, 1 Dec, 2020
Why you can trust SCMP
207
5
A still from a viral video clip showing a 17-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl taking part in a formal wedding ceremony in Shantou, Guangdong province, China. Photo: YouTube
As honeymoons go, they do not get much briefer than this, but when the bride is a 13-year-old girl from southern China who has been ordered to go back to school, you can understand why it was suddenly cut short.
The 13-year-old got married to a 17-year-old boy in a formal ceremony based on local customs last week after they had a romantic relationship for more than a year, the Guiyu township government in Shantou, Guangdong province, said in a statement over the weekend.
By Chinese law, a man has to be at least 22 years old to get married and a woman at least 20. The pair now plan to get an official marriage registration when they are old enough, as many child couples do in rural China.