Folk custom and religious situation Zhangjiajie

The Custom of Crying Marriage has existed in China’s ethnic minorities for a long period, especially among Tujia People, who view it as a necessary marriage procedure. According to senior people, every bride has to cry at the wedding ceremony, expressing her gratitude and love for her parents and relatives. Otherwise, the bride's neighbors would look down upon her as she is a poorly cultivated girl. Usually, the bride begins to cry a month before the wedding day. The bride may cry in different ways with diversified words, which was also called "Crying Marriage Song". In a word, crying at wedding is a way by custom to set off the happiness of the wedding via falsely sorrowful words. Crying at the wedding doesn’t mean “pain and sorrow” but “joy and hope”.