16-Year-Old Daughter for 50 Million Won... Growing Criticism of Dowry Practices in China

Repeated Breakups Due to Large Dowry Demands from Bride's Side
Chinese Authorities Emphasize "Correcting the Chaili Practice"

Parents received 260,000 yuan (50 million won) to marry off their underage daughter to a stranger, sparking strong criticism of the Chinese dowry custom known as "chaili."
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bora Lee] In China, criticism is mounting against the traditional marriage dowry custom called "caili (彩禮)" after it was revealed that parents tried to marry off their underage daughter to a stranger for 50 million won.

On the 21st, Chinese media Pengpai News reported that parents in Sichuan Province promised to marry their 16-year-old daughter "Xiaoku" to a stranger in exchange for 260,000 yuan (about 49 million won) as caili. Caili refers to the dowry the groom gives to the bride's side at the wedding.

To escape her parents' coercion to marry a man she had never met, Xiaoku fled to Guangdong and found work at a factory. The man who paid the caili, along with his family and friends, came to the factory where she worked and forcibly put her into a car. According to the media, she was rescued with police help after requesting assistance at a rest stop while being taken back to her hometown.

The local Civil Affairs Bureau and Women's Federation summoned her family, persuaded them, and sent Xiaoku back home. Caili was originally a custom to express gratitude for raising the daughter well, but cases of broken engagements due to exorbitant demands from the bride's side have been increasing. Especially recently, as marriage and birth rates continue to decline in China, caili has become a serious issue.

On the 18th, a wedding in Baicheng, Jilin Province was canceled on the day due to caili issues. The groom initially promised 300,000 yuan (about 57 million won) as caili.

However, the plan to hold a simple wedding at home was disrupted by the bride's side demanding a hotel venue. The groom tried to give only 250,000 yuan, but the bride's side rejected it, leading to a broken engagement.

Also, early last year, a video showing a father forcibly taking his daughter away because her boyfriend did not prepare 500,000 yuan as caili went viral on the Chinese social networking service Weibo, sparking controversy.

Meanwhile, in 2021, about 7.64 million couples married in China, marking the lowest number in 35 years. It was the first time in 19 years since 2002 (7.86 million couples) that the number fell below 8 million. In response, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasized in this year’s "No. 1 Document" released on the 13th that the wrongful practice of demanding large sums as caili must be corrected.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.