99 ethnic Chinese couples tie knot in Malaysian mass wedding on auspicious day
- The ceremony on the ninth day of the ninth month is an annual event at a temple in Kuala Lumpur for couples seeking a Buddhist wedding
- The number nine in Chinese sounds like the word for “long lasting”, so September 9 is thought to be a particularly auspicious day to get married
A mass wedding ceremony at a Chinese temple in Malaysia saw 99 couples tie the knot on Monday, the ninth day of the ninth month that is considered an auspicious date by ethnic Chinese.
The ceremony at the Thean Hou temple in Kuala Lumpur is an annual event for couples seeking a Buddhist wedding. The number nine in Chinese sounds like the word for “long lasting”.
Most of the couples donned black suits and white bridal dresses, but a few opted to wear red, a colour that symbolises luck, joy and happiness in Chinese culture. Red is also a traditional colour worn by Chinese brides.
Holding bouquets of flowers, the couples were blessed by a priest in a red robe before taking their vows. The ceremony ended with a group photograph.
“For me 99 is a special number,” said Lee Sing Lee, 29, who said his vows to 24-year-old Charlyn Low, an accounts clerk.