Sunday, February 29, 2004
ZHOU YAN & GAO QIAN GET MARRIED
See photos of the wedding.
Across the street from the school is the Dragon Hill Hotel (Long Shan Binguan), a very large hotel with banquet halls, a bowling alley, sauna and pool, as well as a lovely small garden with a stream and a charming bridge. Over the months of our stay in Huairou, we’ve often heard the loud reports of fireworks coming from this hotel, at times quite drowning out our oral English lessons. We wondered what the noise was all about. People have given us various explanations, weddings and visiting dignitaries being the two most often quoted. It’s a way of celebrating their importance.
On Saturday February 21st, we were able to see for ourselves what part fireworks play at a wedding. We’d been invited to the wedding of Zhou Yan [Jo yan], by his parents, Mrs. Liu and Mr. Zhou, one of Keyan’s uncles. We’d also been invited to “say a few words”, and were prepared for this, but thought only that we would be among the many speakers at the occasion.
The day was auspicious - one month exactly into the year of the Monkey. The day when the dragon raises its head. The day when everything from haircuts to weddings can take place under this good harbinger. We arrived at 10:00 am, as instructed, in time to see the hotel staff draping long strings of firecrackers over a metal frame near the entrance to the banquet hall. As well, they were setting up rockets in sand boxes beside the frame. Aha! We were in for a show! The entrance to the building was decorated with a huge red arch depicting a dragon and phoenix facing each other on the curve, while baskets of fresh flowers lined the corridor inside. We were warmly welcomed by the wedding organizers, a very busy woman clutching seating plans and lists of names and a genial man, who escorted us up to the second floor banquet hall, a huge room beautifully decorated for the wedding. In the hallway outside the banquet room, guests clustered around a table where two men accepted cash gifts for the wedding couple and recorded them in flowing Chinese characters on the pages of a red book. We had brought a small red envelope with our gift, which was duly noted.
Enough tables were set, 10 at a table, for 280 people. Colourful flower arrangements of roses, lilies and carnations sat at the centre of each table, where peanuts, sunflower seeds, candies and packs of cigarettes were set out for the pleasure of the guests. Bottles of beer, rice wine, Coke and Sprite sat ready on carts beside each table. Pink and red balloons arced over the room’s entrance and also cross the back of the stage at the front where the dragon and phoenix motif decorated the back wall. Large potted azaleas in pink and red decorated the stage and lined the red-carpeted central aisle where the bride and groom would make their way through the guests to the stage.
Our assigned table was at the very front, which gave us an excellent view of the events as they unfolded. We soon realized, by the red fabric napkins which decorated each place, that we were also guests of honour. This was later confirmed when we asked Keyan what the Chinese characters on the ribbons of the carnation corsages we had been given meant - Guest of Honour was her reply. What? As often happens at functions we attend, we were soon greeted by children, who wanted to try out their primary school English, which is very good, by the way. We had chats with Janet, Tom and Phillip, 9 and 10 year olds who had come from Beijing with their parents for the party. We exchanged ages, names and told them we liked China and loved Chinese food. Janet wanted to know our email address, so we gave her one of the business cards we had printed in October -- they have been very useful in many situations. Her father came with his camera to take pictures of us all. We were enjoying ourselves. Soon mothers came with smaller children and we exchanged greetings and shook hands.
Suddenly there was loud noise from the courtyard outside. It was time for the fireworks. We rushed to the windows to see a cortege of black cars decorated with red ribbons and balloons pull up to the entrance. The lead car, carrying the bride and groom, sported a large bouquet of lilies, roses and carnations on the hood, and was surrounded by smoke as it came to a stop. Rockets soared and exploded. The strings over the frame burst into flames and smoke. The courtyard resounded to the raucous festivity of noise. The wedding party had arrived!
Inside, the hall began to fill with people, busy visiting each other, eating peanuts and sunflower seeds and smoking free cigarettes. Janet, Tom and Phillip scurried away with their parents, and soon Keyan arrived, straight from her Saturday morning classes, along with her husband and brother and sister and nephew and aunt. We were a jolly group.
Soon after, the master of ceremonies appeared on the stage to welcome everyone. There was a flurry of activity at the back of the hall and the strains of the wedding march from Lohengrin told us that the bride and groom, phoenix and dragon, were proceeding down the red-carpeted aisle, she in a traditional Western style white full length gown with large bouquet of flowers and hair upswept and crowned with red roses; he in a conservative dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie. Confetti in the form of colourful paper strips shot out of gold wrapped tubes, showering the couple with good wishes.
The official ceremony began. The matchmaker read the wedding declaration in solemn tones, and the two acknowledged this document. Then they exchanged rings, and arms entwined, drank a glass of wine to each other. They then proceeded to feed each other from a bowl of rice. Next, they acknowledged their parents, the bride giving the groom’s parents cups of tea, and the groom doing the same for her parents. This was the signal for both sets of parents, beginning with the mothers, to welcome the newlyweds into the family, and to acknowledge their change of status. That being done, the MC nodded in our direction, asking us to come to the stage. Somewhat surprised, we grabbed our sheets of paper and went to the front.
Fortunately we had rehearsed with our Chinese teacher, Jerri, (Su Kuh). She had translated what we wanted to say into pinyin and broken the sounds down into neat syllables, making sure that the tones were accurately marked. We had also asked her advice about what was appropriate to say. Finally, Jerri recorded the Chinese on our tape recorder, which we listened to repeatedly during the week, rehearsing our lines. Ours was a combination of Chinese and English, with Keyan, our ever-able translator, conveying the English. If you want to know what we said, and you have no choice in this, here it is:
“Women fei chang ganxie, re qing de zhuren - Liu nu shi he Zhou xian sheng yao qing wo men lai tamen erzi de hun li. [We wish to thankour gracious hosts, Mrs. Liu and Mr. Zhou for inviting us to their son’s wedding.] Women hen rong xing lai dao zhe er. [We’re honoured to be here.] Women cong Janada lai. [We’re from Canada.] We are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this year and we wish the newly married couple as much good fortune and happiness as we have had over the past 40 years. We have 3 children and 2 grandchildren – we wish the newly married couple children to enrich and focus their lives together. We have had successful working lives -- we wish the newly married couple the success which is strengthened by the support of a loving and caring partner. Wo men zhu fu zhe dui xin hun fu fu, [We wish the happy couple] bai tou dao lao, [Live together to old age] yong jie tong xin. [Love each other forever] (said together) Yong yuan xing fu kuai le jian kang.” [Eternal Happiness and Good Health]
We were thanked by the bride and groom, and returned to our table to listen to the other speeches we were sure would follow.... Didn’t happen. Instead the MC picked up on our reference to children, pointing out that because of China’s policy, there would be only one child in the couple’s future. Appreciative and knowing laughter from the audience. Then the groom welcomed everyone and told them to have a good time. Thus two Canadian teachers had the honour of wishing the couple wealth, health and happiness, on behalf of ourselves but also all other guests.
All through the formalities on the stage, the dining room staff were quietly bringing in a wide variety of dishes to each table. Salads, nuts, cold meats and vegetables, pickles and fish filled the glass turntables. Once the bride and groom left the stage, the banquet began. This, of course, meant pouring rice wine for everyone, because toasts are such an integral part of a wedding. And toast we did – over and over. The couple began circulating from table to table, always with a full glass of wine. We never did see them sit down, or eat anything, and wonder how they maintained their calm and dignified manner. Certainly the toasting guests became more and more noisy as the feast continued.
At some point, Gao Qian [gow chian] retired from the room for a short time, only to return dressed in a lovely red silk patterned jacket and red full-length skirt, red being the colour of luck and celebration. Again the couple circulated among the tables, but now the atmosphere was much less formal, and their young friends had many jokes to play. The groom was in shirtsleeves now, trying to smoke 10 cigarettes all at once by sucking on the mouth of an empty plastic Coke bottle. The cigarettes had been stuck through the sides of the plastic bottle by burning a hole with the hot tip of the cigarette. And then the couple were asked to lick a plate of sugar, at the same time, of course, to uproarious laughter from those gathered to witness this trick.
Throughout the festivities, a videographer and several photographers captured the events for posterity.
Food continued to arrive at the table. Now hot dishes of every description, but each an important food to increase the good luck and good fortune of the wedding couple. We ate until we could eat no more. We drank until we felt caution was the best course. We traveled to neighboring tables to toast people we knew, always toasting the friendship between Canada and China, as well as good friends and good luck. People came to our table to toast us. It was a jolly time.
We left the building in a merry rice wine state, to be greeted once again by the parents of the bride and groom, who were in the courtyard saying good-bye to all the guests.
Looking back to the building, we saw the remains of the fireworks, blackened by fire, spent; the yellow and red dragon and phoenix arch still floating in the breeze. We chatted as we walked to the street, knowing that this was one more delightful Chinese tradition we had become part of. We had no doubt that the dragon had truly raised its head this day.
See photos of the wedding.
Across the street from the school is the Dragon Hill Hotel (Long Shan Binguan), a very large hotel with banquet halls, a bowling alley, sauna and pool, as well as a lovely small garden with a stream and a charming bridge. Over the months of our stay in Huairou, we’ve often heard the loud reports of fireworks coming from this hotel, at times quite drowning out our oral English lessons. We wondered what the noise was all about. People have given us various explanations, weddings and visiting dignitaries being the two most often quoted. It’s a way of celebrating their importance.
On Saturday February 21st, we were able to see for ourselves what part fireworks play at a wedding. We’d been invited to the wedding of Zhou Yan [Jo yan], by his parents, Mrs. Liu and Mr. Zhou, one of Keyan’s uncles. We’d also been invited to “say a few words”, and were prepared for this, but thought only that we would be among the many speakers at the occasion.
The day was auspicious - one month exactly into the year of the Monkey. The day when the dragon raises its head. The day when everything from haircuts to weddings can take place under this good harbinger. We arrived at 10:00 am, as instructed, in time to see the hotel staff draping long strings of firecrackers over a metal frame near the entrance to the banquet hall. As well, they were setting up rockets in sand boxes beside the frame. Aha! We were in for a show! The entrance to the building was decorated with a huge red arch depicting a dragon and phoenix facing each other on the curve, while baskets of fresh flowers lined the corridor inside. We were warmly welcomed by the wedding organizers, a very busy woman clutching seating plans and lists of names and a genial man, who escorted us up to the second floor banquet hall, a huge room beautifully decorated for the wedding. In the hallway outside the banquet room, guests clustered around a table where two men accepted cash gifts for the wedding couple and recorded them in flowing Chinese characters on the pages of a red book. We had brought a small red envelope with our gift, which was duly noted.
Enough tables were set, 10 at a table, for 280 people. Colourful flower arrangements of roses, lilies and carnations sat at the centre of each table, where peanuts, sunflower seeds, candies and packs of cigarettes were set out for the pleasure of the guests. Bottles of beer, rice wine, Coke and Sprite sat ready on carts beside each table. Pink and red balloons arced over the room’s entrance and also cross the back of the stage at the front where the dragon and phoenix motif decorated the back wall. Large potted azaleas in pink and red decorated the stage and lined the red-carpeted central aisle where the bride and groom would make their way through the guests to the stage.
Our assigned table was at the very front, which gave us an excellent view of the events as they unfolded. We soon realized, by the red fabric napkins which decorated each place, that we were also guests of honour. This was later confirmed when we asked Keyan what the Chinese characters on the ribbons of the carnation corsages we had been given meant - Guest of Honour was her reply. What? As often happens at functions we attend, we were soon greeted by children, who wanted to try out their primary school English, which is very good, by the way. We had chats with Janet, Tom and Phillip, 9 and 10 year olds who had come from Beijing with their parents for the party. We exchanged ages, names and told them we liked China and loved Chinese food. Janet wanted to know our email address, so we gave her one of the business cards we had printed in October -- they have been very useful in many situations. Her father came with his camera to take pictures of us all. We were enjoying ourselves. Soon mothers came with smaller children and we exchanged greetings and shook hands.
Suddenly there was loud noise from the courtyard outside. It was time for the fireworks. We rushed to the windows to see a cortege of black cars decorated with red ribbons and balloons pull up to the entrance. The lead car, carrying the bride and groom, sported a large bouquet of lilies, roses and carnations on the hood, and was surrounded by smoke as it came to a stop. Rockets soared and exploded. The strings over the frame burst into flames and smoke. The courtyard resounded to the raucous festivity of noise. The wedding party had arrived!
Inside, the hall began to fill with people, busy visiting each other, eating peanuts and sunflower seeds and smoking free cigarettes. Janet, Tom and Phillip scurried away with their parents, and soon Keyan arrived, straight from her Saturday morning classes, along with her husband and brother and sister and nephew and aunt. We were a jolly group.
Soon after, the master of ceremonies appeared on the stage to welcome everyone. There was a flurry of activity at the back of the hall and the strains of the wedding march from Lohengrin told us that the bride and groom, phoenix and dragon, were proceeding down the red-carpeted aisle, she in a traditional Western style white full length gown with large bouquet of flowers and hair upswept and crowned with red roses; he in a conservative dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie. Confetti in the form of colourful paper strips shot out of gold wrapped tubes, showering the couple with good wishes.
The official ceremony began. The matchmaker read the wedding declaration in solemn tones, and the two acknowledged this document. Then they exchanged rings, and arms entwined, drank a glass of wine to each other. They then proceeded to feed each other from a bowl of rice. Next, they acknowledged their parents, the bride giving the groom’s parents cups of tea, and the groom doing the same for her parents. This was the signal for both sets of parents, beginning with the mothers, to welcome the newlyweds into the family, and to acknowledge their change of status. That being done, the MC nodded in our direction, asking us to come to the stage. Somewhat surprised, we grabbed our sheets of paper and went to the front.
Fortunately we had rehearsed with our Chinese teacher, Jerri, (Su Kuh). She had translated what we wanted to say into pinyin and broken the sounds down into neat syllables, making sure that the tones were accurately marked. We had also asked her advice about what was appropriate to say. Finally, Jerri recorded the Chinese on our tape recorder, which we listened to repeatedly during the week, rehearsing our lines. Ours was a combination of Chinese and English, with Keyan, our ever-able translator, conveying the English. If you want to know what we said, and you have no choice in this, here it is:
“Women fei chang ganxie, re qing de zhuren - Liu nu shi he Zhou xian sheng yao qing wo men lai tamen erzi de hun li. [We wish to thankour gracious hosts, Mrs. Liu and Mr. Zhou for inviting us to their son’s wedding.] Women hen rong xing lai dao zhe er. [We’re honoured to be here.] Women cong Janada lai. [We’re from Canada.] We are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this year and we wish the newly married couple as much good fortune and happiness as we have had over the past 40 years. We have 3 children and 2 grandchildren – we wish the newly married couple children to enrich and focus their lives together. We have had successful working lives -- we wish the newly married couple the success which is strengthened by the support of a loving and caring partner. Wo men zhu fu zhe dui xin hun fu fu, [We wish the happy couple] bai tou dao lao, [Live together to old age] yong jie tong xin. [Love each other forever] (said together) Yong yuan xing fu kuai le jian kang.” [Eternal Happiness and Good Health]
We were thanked by the bride and groom, and returned to our table to listen to the other speeches we were sure would follow.... Didn’t happen. Instead the MC picked up on our reference to children, pointing out that because of China’s policy, there would be only one child in the couple’s future. Appreciative and knowing laughter from the audience. Then the groom welcomed everyone and told them to have a good time. Thus two Canadian teachers had the honour of wishing the couple wealth, health and happiness, on behalf of ourselves but also all other guests.
All through the formalities on the stage, the dining room staff were quietly bringing in a wide variety of dishes to each table. Salads, nuts, cold meats and vegetables, pickles and fish filled the glass turntables. Once the bride and groom left the stage, the banquet began. This, of course, meant pouring rice wine for everyone, because toasts are such an integral part of a wedding. And toast we did – over and over. The couple began circulating from table to table, always with a full glass of wine. We never did see them sit down, or eat anything, and wonder how they maintained their calm and dignified manner. Certainly the toasting guests became more and more noisy as the feast continued.
At some point, Gao Qian [gow chian] retired from the room for a short time, only to return dressed in a lovely red silk patterned jacket and red full-length skirt, red being the colour of luck and celebration. Again the couple circulated among the tables, but now the atmosphere was much less formal, and their young friends had many jokes to play. The groom was in shirtsleeves now, trying to smoke 10 cigarettes all at once by sucking on the mouth of an empty plastic Coke bottle. The cigarettes had been stuck through the sides of the plastic bottle by burning a hole with the hot tip of the cigarette. And then the couple were asked to lick a plate of sugar, at the same time, of course, to uproarious laughter from those gathered to witness this trick.
Throughout the festivities, a videographer and several photographers captured the events for posterity.
Food continued to arrive at the table. Now hot dishes of every description, but each an important food to increase the good luck and good fortune of the wedding couple. We ate until we could eat no more. We drank until we felt caution was the best course. We traveled to neighboring tables to toast people we knew, always toasting the friendship between Canada and China, as well as good friends and good luck. People came to our table to toast us. It was a jolly time.
We left the building in a merry rice wine state, to be greeted once again by the parents of the bride and groom, who were in the courtyard saying good-bye to all the guests.
Looking back to the building, we saw the remains of the fireworks, blackened by fire, spent; the yellow and red dragon and phoenix arch still floating in the breeze. We chatted as we walked to the street, knowing that this was one more delightful Chinese tradition we had become part of. We had no doubt that the dragon had truly raised its head this day.
All text and photography © copyright Harkaway, 2003 - 2004
