A rare incident was reported on Trung Khanh Television, where a couple who had been dating for a year and a half planned to hold their wedding on June 11th. However, two days before the wedding, the groom unexpectedly cancelled the wedding, leaving the bride, Vu, who was five months pregnant with exhaustion and shock.
The bride-to-be came from An Huy province, while the groom hailed from Trung Khanh. The couple had planned for a grand wedding, and the wedding invitations had already been sent out to all the guests. However, the groom cancelled the wedding, citing unexpected demands from the bride’s family for an additional dowry payment of half a million yuan, which he could not afford.
The bride was devastated by the sudden turn of events, and she spent the day and night in her hotel room, unable to face the world. The groom, on the other hand, claimed that everything was going smoothly until the bride’s family demanded more money. He decided to break off the engagement and cancel the wedding.
The bride’s family comes from an area where the custom of demanding a high dowry is prevalent. Despite knowing this, the groom had initially agreed to the amount but changed his mind at the last minute. The bride, Vu, explained that she was shocked and angry and demanded compensation of over one million yuan, but the groom refused to pay.
In addition, the couple had to negotiate the issue of abortion, but Vu refused to terminate the pregnancy, as she was concerned about the health of the unborn child. However, she demanded that the groom pay for the cost of the abortion surgery and an additional one million yuan, which he refused to pay.
The practice of demanding a high dowry, also known as “thach cuoi,” is a controversial tradition in China that has been the subject of debate for many years. The amount of the dowry varies from region to region, with some areas such as Guangdong demanding between 10,000-20,000 yuan (1500-3000 USD), while in Sichuan, the amount can range from 60,000 to 100,000 yuan (8900-15000 USD). The highest amount is in the province of Jiangxi.
In conclusion, the cancellation of the wedding due to the demand for a high dowry has caused great pain and suffering for the bride, groom, and their families. This custom of demanding a high dowry is detrimental to the progress of society and reinforces gender inequality. It is necessary to raise awareness of this issue and work towards eliminating this harmful tradition. We must strive towards a society where love and compassion prevail and where every individual is valued equally, regardless of gender.