Forced Marriages in China

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Forced marriage in China is a touchy subject.

First off, the importance of family over personal goals and desires is one of the things that makes Chinese culture so vastly different from the rest of the world (at least the west).

However, there is a massive struggle that young people face in China. The ideals of the cutthroat capitalist society means that the entire way that people make and save their money has shifted from total government control, to the rat race of finding a job and making your own way. This hasn't gelled well with the older generation, who is still used to everything being dictated by either the government, or their parents before them.

The idea that you might find a life partner through natural and organic means was a rare and frowned upon method of China's past. Marriages were set up by mothers, aunts, and other relatives that sought to link families that they approved of. This led to generations of couples that barely knew each other. 

This practice has lost popularity due to the changing social landscape of China, but arranged marriages still happen VERY often in the countryside. The above video shows a boy who has married a mentally disabled woman. While the exact details are unknown, with the lack of females in many villages, and the older mindset of the older generation still living in them, these things do happen.

"Marriage markets" are still quite popular in China,  where mothers and relatives will try and "sell" their son or daughter to people that they think are either rich enough, or good enough for them. 

Often enough, the son or daughter is unaware that they are being sold in a park, and more often than not completely reject the idea that they will marry someone they barely know that their family set them up with. 

On a personal note, my mother in law spent years trying to force Vivi into a marriage with a man who was the son of a very rich and powerful family.

He was game, but Vivi had absolutely no interest. 

Vivi's mom even went as far to invite me to dinner, and without telling us, also invited the man and his family whom she wanted to set up with Vivi. We ate a bit, and realized what was happening, and Vivi told her mother that we were not interested in her conniving games. We married shortly afterwards.

Thank you so much for your support! We appreciate it so much!