Some Asians are still primitive w/ bride-price so "naked marriage" is like Hmong

[theking]

..eloping method  :

Rural men in China say they're too poor to afford the massive dowries expected of them. People on social media say it's just an excuse.

A Chinese state media report about rural men struggling to afford exorbitant dowries has triggered backlash online from people who say the bachelors are missing the point.

State-run outlet Legal Daily published an article on Monday covering the dating lives of three rural men in their early 30s, who said they can no longer keep up with rising "betrothal prices."

The story of one man from Jiangxi province, whom Legal Daily gave the pseudonym Cheng Wei, went viral on Weibo, China's version of X.

According to state media, the man "lamented" that dowries in his home region had grown to about 500,000 RMB, or $70,000 — a nearly impossible cost for a rural worker.

"500,000 RMB is a very unrealistic expectation. To put things in perspective, the annual disposable per capita income among rural residents in China is about 20,000 RMB," Mu Zheng, a professor of sociology and anthropology at the National University of Singapore, told Business Insider.

Such a dowry would likely cost rural families years of savings or could sink them in debt, Mu said.

But instead of drawing sympathy, the report received a harsh response on Weibo. Many accounts, who listed themselves as female on their profiles, say men are using the unattainable dowries as an excuse for their undesirability as partners.

"Always discussing the dowry, and not discussing what the man is like, or what the bride's family must pay," one top comment said.

"Then don't get married. No one wants to marry you if you have no money," a blogger, who listed themselves as female, wrote.

As of Monday afternoon Beijing time, the topic received some 32 million views on Weibo, per data seen by BI.

In China, grooms typically pay for dowries to the bride's family and can sometimes be expected to fork up the cash for huge expenses like cars or houses as a prerequisite.

Some urban couples in China are now going for what is often dubbed a "naked marriage," where people get hitched without the man first securing the dowry, car, apartment, or perhaps even a diamond ring. But the traditional practice of paying for your bride is still strong in rural areas, Mu said.

[Hung_Low]

Hmong people do this all the time to other Hmong people but as soon as the soon-to-be SIL is another race, the dowry flew out the window.

All I have to say is that if the family want me to pay for their daughter's hand... all financial support from me in the future for that family is done and it better be a money-back guarantee with that.

[theking]

Wow, what a way for a newly married couple to start their lives in heavy debt  :

According to state media, the man "lamented" that dowries in his home region had grown to about 500,000 RMB, or $70,000 — a nearly impossible cost for a rural worker.

"500,000 RMB is a very unrealistic expectation. To put things in perspective, the annual disposable per capita income among rural residents in China is about 20,000 RMB," Mu Zheng, a professor of sociology and anthropology at the National University of Singapore, told Business Insider.