China unveiled its key policy document or "No. 1 central document" for 2023 on Monday, vowing to launch a special campaign against problems including exorbitant bride prices and extravagant wedding ceremonies as a part of nationwide efforts to strengthen spiritual civilization construction in the country's rural areas.
Recently, many cities and provinces across China have intensified their efforts in reining in exorbitant bride prices, as the custom has increasingly become a heavy burden for families, especially those in rural areas. The move has sparked heated discussion among Chinese netizens.
Dingxi in Northwest China's Gansu Province has released details of its achievements after the implementation of a campaign in June 2022 to curb excessive bride prices. The city is one of the last areas in China to be lifted out of poverty at the end of 2020.
According to the Chinese media outlet The Paper, since the campaign, 70% of married couples in Dingxi have received less than 50,000 yuan ($7325) as the bride price, down 10.9% from before the campaign.
The local campaign also stipulates that wedding parties should have no more than 20 tables both in urban areas and rural areas, with each table costing no more than 880 yuan ($129) in urban areas and 480 yuan ($70) in rural areas.
Multiple cities in East China's Jiangxi Province, which have long been known for exorbitant bride prices, are also stepping up their campaigns to address the custom.
For example, Leping city held a meeting to deploy a three-year special action to promote the transformation of local outdated customs and tradition on February 6.
The city previously found itself in the spotlight after a rumor that a local bride asked for 880,000 yuan ($128,977) for the marriage earlier this month.