Can strangers become a family when your own family is no longer there? A 24-year-old Chinese man who feared his wedding would be attended by barely a handful of people turned to social media for company. What followed was an extraordinary response, as thousands of strangers travelled across China to celebrate a man they had never met.
Xu Chenghong, popularly known online as Xiao Xiao Xu, from Yiliang County in Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, shared a video on Douyin, China’s popular social media platform, on October 25, inviting members of the public to attend his October 31 wedding.
Xu’s childhood was marked by loss. His father died when he was three, his mother remarried when he was five, and his grandmother, who had helped care for him and his elder brother, died two years later. He subsequently grew up with limited family support and worked various jobs, including delivery and construction, to support himself.
Having saved money to marry his longtime partner, Xu became concerned that the wedding would be poorly attended because he had very few relatives to invite. He initially expected only about 10 to 20 people to respond to his online invitation.
However, his appeal struck a chord with social media users, attracting thousands of visitors from different parts of China.
The response went beyond attendance, with well-wishers bringing food, household appliances, agricultural produce and other wedding essentials. Some guests reportedly brought livestock, while others offered wedding cars, including a luxury Maybach for the couple.
Professional chefs also volunteered to prepare meals, while wedding planners, photographers and other service providers offered their services free of charge. Some visitors arrived days before the ceremony to assist with preparations.
The overwhelming turnout forced organisers to relocate the celebrations to a larger public square to accommodate the growing crowd. Local authorities also stepped in to assist with traffic management, emergency services and public safety.
The wedding, attracted widespread attention online, with videos showing crowds of strangers celebrating, dancing and offering congratulations to the newlyweds.
What began as a simple invitation to fill empty seats became a nationwide show of solidarity, with people travelling hundreds of kilometres to celebrate a couple they had never met.
