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Chinese orphan wins hearts as thousands join his wedding
Published : Sunday, 1 November, 2026 at 11:23 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
Fearing a cold and deserted ceremony due to a lack of relatives, a 24-year-old orphaned blogger in China invited social media users to his wedding, prompting thousands of strangers to travel long distances with livestock, supplies, and appliances to celebrate the occasion.
The groom, Xu Chenghong—widely known by his online moniker "Xiao Xiao Ci"—resides in Yunfeng Village, Yiliang County of Zhaotong City in Yunnan Province. He endured a childhood marked by tragedy after his father died of illness when he was just three years old.
Following his mother's remarriage two years later, Xu and his older brother were raised by their grandmother, who also passed away shortly after. The double loss forced both siblings to drop out of junior high school and work manual jobs across the country, including sorting goods at a courier firm in Zhejiang.
Xu met his future wife, Luo Xue, during a social media livestream while working in Shandong while she was a university student in Liaoning. Their bond deepened in 2023 when he traveled 800 kilometers to care for her following a severe traffic accident.
Despite initial opposition from her family due to his financial hardship, Xu won over her relatives through sincerity and hard work, saving 160,000 CNY (approximately 620 million BDT) over three years to cover betrothal gifts, gold jewelry, and event expenses ahead of their October 31 nuptials.
Concerned that his small family background would leave the venue empty with only two or three tables, Xu posted a video on social media on October 25 inviting netizens to join the fun, initially hoping for just 10 to 20 people to respond.
The invitation went viral across Chinese digital platforms, drawing an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 netizens to the region by October 28. Guests arrived bringing gifts ranging from refrigerators, fireplaces, and freezers to pigs, fresh vegetables, fish, dining tables, and chairs.
Professional five-star hotel chefs and local residents volunteered to handle catering using sponsored ingredients, forcing authorities to expand banquet plans from 300 to 400 tables before transitioning to a buffet format.
The wedding reception was subsequently relocated from a neighbor's yard to Hengdian Square in Luowang village, a massive public space capable of holding tens of thousands of attendees.
Zhang Mai, deputy director of the Zhaotong Department of Culture and Tourism, noted that Xu's life story deeply moved citizens nationwide, prompting local government teams to deploy personnel to manage traffic, parking, security, and food safety protocols.
Luo Xue expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming warmth shown by online well-wishers, while Xu repeatedly thanked the incoming crowds while urging visitors to navigate mountain roads safely and avoid disrupting their personal schedules.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, 01550707296
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], Online-email: [email protected]
