Guideline targets bad behavior in rural areas

Grassroots authorities should intensify efforts to curb old customs and bad behaviors in rural areas to reduce waste and extravagance on occasions such as weddings or funerals, according to a guideline released by 11 central government departments on Tuesday.

County and township authorities should also release measures to promote frugality in hosting weddings or funerals in rural areas, the guideline said. Other uncivilized behavior in rural areas, such as abusing elderly parents or refusing to support them, will also be targeted, according to the guideline.

It is expected that within three to five years, a more civilized society will be established in rural areas. The spread of outdated practices and customs will be effectively controlled, new practices such as frugality in ceremonies and respecting elders will be more prominent in rural areas, and rural residents' expenditures on interpersonal relations will be greatly reduced, according to the guideline.

Han Jun, vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, said that in addition to economic development in rural areas, improving civilization is also an essential part of the central government's rural rejuvenation strategy.

Although remarkable progress has been made in abolishing outdated practices and promoting civilized behavior in rural areas across China in recent years, problems are still rampant. For example, excessively expensive weddings and luxurious funerals have resulted in many men unable to afford marriage, and households unable to afford funerals, he said.

"The spread of these bad customs has created huge burdens for many rural residents and sets a bad example," Han said. "Many villagers are not willing to follow such practices, but they find it difficult to make a change due to pressure from society."

Zhang Zhiyong, an official from the Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress, said local authorities must take resolute measures to abolish bad customs and practices in rural areas, including matchmakers making illegal profits.

"For example, in some rural areas, many matchmakers lie to both the men's and women's families by exaggerating their attributes, so as to make more money," he said. "Authorities such as the civil affairs department and women's federations at the grassroots level must intensify their supervision over matchmaking institutions and individual matchmakers."

Authorities should provide matchmaking services for young people in rural areas in innovative ways. For example, they can encourage leaders of women's federations in villages to become volunteer matchmakers and guide villagers to resist extravagant weddings, he said.