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The women are seen in the video in a slow-moving convoy of convertibles, dressed in red cheongsam. Photo: Thepaper.cn

Cadres reprimanded over lavish street parade for married women in southern China

Video shows them in convoy of red convertibles dressed in red cheongsam

Twelve officials from southern tropical island province Hainan have been publicly reprimanded for organising a lavish street parade for women returning to their county after they married elsewhere.

A video circulating online shows the “homecoming party” that was organised for the newly married women by the county government, according to a Hainan Daily report on Saturday.

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The women are seen in a convoy of red convertibles – standing on the passenger seats wearing red cheongsam, or qipao, and sunglasses – as it slowly moves through the streets of northwest Chengmai county on Sunday last week.

“Homecoming parties” for women who have married elsewhere have become popular in the area in recent years. Photo: Thepaper.cn

It drew criticism and questions over similar events that have seen women invited to return to their hometowns for extravagant celebrations paid for by the local government and the women themselves.

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Following an investigation last week, the officials involved – including the local Communist Party chief and village committee members – were publicly criticised by discipline inspectors, according to the newspaper.

“[The cadres] have had a negative social impact by organising extravagant and wasteful events,” the county’s Discipline Inspection Commission was quoted as saying.

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Since “homecoming parties” for women who have married elsewhere have become popular in the area in recent years, the local graft-buster said it would “closely monitor” such events for potential corruption and discipline violations.

President Xi Jinping began a sweeping crackdown on corruption six years ago, including introducing a series of rules to curb overspending and extravagance by party officials.

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