Guilin Tourism Fashion Life - Delivering the Bride with a Quilt

The dowry of the brides from the Longsheng Over Mountain Yao ethnic group in Guilin, a tourist city, is very simple - only "one bed and one cover", namely a quilt and a mattress. In the past, even daughters of wealthy mountain owners or clan leaders were married off with such simplicity. Therefore, it can be said that the Yao people have always followed the principle of frugality when marrying off their daughters. However, the bridal party is quite large. Relatives who come to drink farewell wine for the bride, as well as her uncles and aunts' families, all go as "honored guests". When these "honored guests" accompany the bride on her journey, they create a lively procession along the mountain paths, sometimes stretching over a mile. By the time the front of the procession has already arrived at the groom's house and started drinking tea, the back is still on the road. Many people carry a quilt, preparing to use it for rest in the evening, hence the saying "carrying quilts to send off the bride".

These "honored guests" can include anyone who has even a slight family connection to the bride's side. It is said that long ago, a woodcutter encountered a bridal party on the road. Since the bride's family was too far away from his home, they had not invited him to the farewell feast. Upon inquiring with the "honored guests" in the party, he found out that the bride was the cousin of his uncle's wife. He immediately abandoned his woodcutting, ran home, picked up a quilt, caught up with the bridal party, and joined them as an "honored guest".