Wedding banquets develop taste for frugality

A nationwide austerity drive means frugality is prevailing over lavishness on special occasions.

Like many of his peers, Du Yunlong chose to tie the knot during Spring Festival.

"My big day was a very simple one. The wedding dinner was held at an activity center for the elderly, and all the cars were borrowed from friends," said the 22-year-old from Shiquan village in Jiangxi province.

It used to be the norm for villagers to rent fleets of luxury cars and arrange expensive feasts for weddings, said Du, who claims to have saved at least 20,000 yuan ($3,200).

Two years ago, Du's wedding would have been laughed at. The local economy had developed quickly and villagers used weddings to show off their wealth.

According to Du's uncle Du Xiaohua, weddings lasted at least two days with four dinners, usually in expensive hotels with at least a dozen luxury cars.

"Poor families would follow suit, fearing that they would be looked down upon, regardless of any debt considerations," he said.

The campaign against extravagance began late in 2012, and the village set up a committee in August 2013 to help simplify weddings and funerals. The committee allows the activity center to be used for free. Ceremonies should not last more than one day.

"The money saved on the wedding can give us a better start in married life," Du Yunlong said.