Wedding traditions of East Asia
Tea ceremony and red packets, san-san-kudo and the pyebaek, the lucky day and the double happiness. 26 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.
Countries
🇨🇳 China 15🇭🇰 Hong Kong 2🇯🇵 Japan 14🇲🇴 Macau 0🇲🇳 Mongolia 1🇰🇵 North Korea 4🇰🇷 South Korea 9🇹🇼 Taiwan 1
Cities and towns
On the calendar
Japan, the spring wedding seasonJapan, the autumn wedding seasonChina, the autumn wedding seasonTaian, the luckiest daySon-eomneun-nal, days without evil spirits8/8, the double luck date9/9, the long-lasting date520, "I love you" day10/10, the perfect date2/22 and other repeated datesThe Chinese almanac and lucky wedding daysGhost Month
🇰🇷 Seoul, South Korea and 1 moreMarriage in KoreaKorean marriage (결혼)
A look at how Korean weddings blend ancient Confucian rites with modern legal practices.Rite · Finding a match
🇯🇵 JapanTamagushitamagushi (玉串)
A decorated sakaki branch offered to kami during Shinto wedding ceremonies and other rites.Rite · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreJokduri족두리
A traditional Korean coronet worn by women during weddings and other special occasions.Attire · The ceremony
🇯🇵 Onomichi, JapanRibbon Chapelリボンチャペル
A glass-walled wedding venue in Onomichi with twin staircases that symbolize the bond of marriage.Setting · The ceremony
🇰🇷 South Korea and 5 moreBlessing ceremony of the Unification ChurchHoly Marriage Blessing Ceremony (축복결혼식)
A large-scale marriage rededication or new union ceremony that engrafts couples into a sinless lineage.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇷 Seoul, South Korea and 3 moreBlessing ceremony
The large-scale marriage rite of the Unification Church where couples are matched and blessed by their leaders.Rite · The ceremony
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreMarriage coin charm夫妇和合花钱 (fū fù hé hé huā qián)
Numismatic amulets from East Asia that carry wedding blessings and fertility symbols.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreGhost marriage冥婚 (mínghūn)
A union arranged for deceased individuals to ensure harmony in the afterlife and care in this one.Rite · Finding a match
🇨🇳 ChinaFengguan xiapei凤冠霞帔
The traditional Han Chinese wedding ensemble of a phoenix crown and embroidered robes worn by brides in the Ming and QinAttire · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaNaked marriage裸婚 (luǒhūn)
A wedding without a house, car, or ring, chosen by couples in China for love and financial necessity.Modern · The weeks before
🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanShinto wedding神前結婚 (Shinzen kekkon)
A Shinto purification ritual featuring sake sharing and kimono attire held at a shrine or venue.Rite · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaJiaobeijiu交杯酒
The ancient Chinese rite of sharing wine from linked cups to seal a marriage.Rite · The ceremony
🇨🇳 ChinaXiuhefu秀禾服
A modern two-piece Chinese bridal outfit inspired by Qing dynasty styles and popularized by a 2001 television drama.Attire · The ceremony
🇹🇼 Taipei, TaiwanSame-sex marriage in Taiwan
The legal recognition of same-sex unions in Taiwan, the first in Asia.Modern · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Marriage in Korea: Jérôme Banal ( Eden2004 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ribbon Chapel: メルビル, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Blessing ceremony of the Unification Church: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Blessing ceremony: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Xiuhefu: Tunere, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tamagushi: Urashimataro, Public domain, source
- Jokduri: derivative work: Caspian blue ( talk ) Korean_dance-Jinju_pogurakmu-01, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Same-sex marriage in Taiwan: Guy of taipei, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Marriage coin charm: Scott Semans, CC BY 3.0, source
- Fengguan xiapei: Unknown author, CC0, source