China court orders wedding party to pay US$34,000 after brutal bridesmaid prank
Young woman in Henan suffers spinal fracture and becomes disabled after nuptial hazing activity goes wrong
A 20-year-old woman from central China who served as a bridesmaid had one of her vertebrae fractured and became seriously disabled after a prank activity at a wedding.
A court in Ruyang county, in Henan province, released its verdict on the case to the public in early July, aiming to raise awareness of the controversial wedding revelry, news portal gmw.cn reported.
As part of nuptial ceremonies, wedding hazing, called hun nao in Chinese, dates back thousands of years, originally being intended to create a fun atmosphere and to expel evil spirits.
Still popular in many parts of the country, it has drawn widespread criticism in recent years after the ritual has sometimes devolved into humiliation and even violence.
Newlywed couples and bridesmaids are the main targets of the teasing.
On October 4, 2023, the woman, surnamed Zhang, was invited to the wedding as a bridesmaid of the bride Li, who was her friend, and the groom.