With a red archway, live band performing, a stretch limo, and a lady in a white gown, can you imagine that this is a divorce ceremony, and not a wedding?
Sunday, a women in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, held a divorce ceremony, imitating the plot in the film If You Are the One II. By doing this, she hoped to end her unhappy marriage and step forward into a new chapter of her life.
"I had a wedding ceremony where we tied the knot. I wanted to have an elegant ritual when the marriage broke up," said the "bride," Yuan Li.
At around 10:40 am, Yuan walked out of her home, smiling and holding roses, while her two sons carried the train at the back of her dress. Though in the spotlight of a large audience, Yuan was still unhurried and did not have any stage fright. She waved at the by-standers and then got into a stretch limo, which took her to her parents' house.
"My wedding ceremony was simple since we were poor at the time. But now, though it's a divorce, I wanted to take a limousine and depart with elegance," explained Yuan.
At around 12:15 pm, the ceremony began. With music and applause, Yuan walked along the red carpet. The smile on her face could not disguise the grief deep in her heart. She managed to sob out her divorce speech. "Holding such a ceremony is meant to give me courage to bid farewell to the past and start a new life with my children in the future," said Yuan.
Later the officiator came and asked, "Yuan Li, your other half, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, will part from you and will no longer be related to you. Do you accept?"
"Yes, I do," replied Yuan.
As Yuan tore up the photos she took with her ex-husband and threw away their wedding ring, the ceremony came to an end.
Such a real-life red-carpet divorce ceremony was so rare that it soon attracted many passers-by and aroused heated discussions among them.
Some thought the ritual was creative and a mindful unbinding of emotional ties, thus Yuan should be blessed; others thought that divorce is supposed to be something unpleasant and should not be celebrated in such a big way.
Nevertheless, Yuan still won support from her family, especially her children. Her elder son even bought her a qipao, a traditional close-fitting woman's dress with a high neck and slit skirt and a pair of crystal shoes.
"Compared to love and friendship, family is the most important thing. I will support my mom's decision and help her hold a successful divorce ceremony," said the son.
Yuan and her husband had been married for 27 years and have two sons and one daughter.
However, since her husband had an affair with another woman, their marriage could not survive in the end.
The couple signed the divorce agreement in July 2010, but continued living together for another year due to their small son.
Yuan said she experienced great sorrow during that period and, therefore, decided to hold a ceremony to say goodbye to her unhappy past. Moreover, the divorce ritual was held on the same day as her wedding anniversary.
