The long-standing Chinese belief that the more boisterous a wedding is, the more happiness the newlyweds will enjoy means that across the country, and especially in rural areas, guests try to enliven the nuptials by teasing the newlyweds or bridesmaids.
This includes practices such as forcing the couple to kiss in public or urging them or the bridesmaids to drink more. Such tradition has come under fierce public criticism, however, after a string of backfiring incidents, the most recent of which saw a bridegroom nearly choking to death after guests sprayed him with multiple fire extinguishers.
The incident came to light on Sunday when a video clip of the wedding was uploaded, by an unidentified source, showing the bridegroom surrounded by guest brandishing fire extinguishers who proceed to spray him.
The bridegroom is soon shrouded in smoke and falls to the ground. Only when he is struggling on the ground do the guests stop the prank and start to help him instead.
Doctors said that the bridegroom was choking on the dry foam of the extinguishers and would have lost his life had he not received treatment in time.
In April, popular actors were heavily criticized by netizens for trying to push a bridesmaid into a swimming pool at the wedding of actor Bao Bei'er. Earlier this month in Hainan Province, a 28-year-old bridesmaid died of alcohol poisoning and choking on her vomit after being forced to drink too much.
Many netizens argue that “teasing” newlyweds or bridesmaids at weddings is a corrupting, obsolete custom which does not bring happiness, but humiliation those teased or even abuse. Online commentators have called on guests to not overdo their pranks at weddings and to reject anything brutal and demeaning.