Three-stage Marital Customs in Life: A Profile of the Yellow-costumed Wa People at Dazhai, Mengjian, Yunnan of China

Abstract

The Wa ethnic people at Dazhai village of Mengjian township, Gengma Dai and Wa autonomous county, Lincang city, Yunnan province of China, are identified as “Yellow-costumed Wa People” by other ethnic groups nearby. Each couple from the Wa People experiences three weddings in life, namely the “initial wedding”, the “second wedding”, and the “tail-cutting (finalizing) wedding”. Such three-stage marital ceremonies may be completed over a span of several years or even decades. In most cases, it’s not uncommon to see the elderly couples aged 60 and above still hold their third wedding as newlyweds. The custom can be distinctive both among the ethnic minorities and those around the world. Translation of the unique marital custom from Chinese to foreign language and publicity of the custom elsewhere around the world is of great realistic significance to reach international audience through a full narration of China’s stories.