Underage marriage of China couple sparks intervention by local officials who reject validity of nuptials
- Extremely young couple’s nuptials viewed 8.5 million times on Douyin
- Legal marriage age in China is 22 for men, 20 for women
A wedding ceremony in China in which the bride and the groom were under 15 years old trended on mainland social media before authorities intervened to stop the underage marriage.
The nuptials were held on March 23 in a village in Xintai county in the eastern province of Shandong.
The groom was a student at a secondary school, aged about 14-15 years old, and his bride was even younger, the news outlet, Shijian Video reported.
In China, the legal age for marriage is 22 for men and 20 for women. The Juveniles Protection Law forbids parents to allow, force or arrange marriages for their underage children.
The teenagers got to know each other in September last year.
Both sets of parents, who are thought to be unaware of the law, approved the marriage in March and held a wedding according to local customs, the report said.