I was the token white guy on a Chinese dating game show.
Chinese Women’s Gymnatic Team won the Gold Medal first time in its history at Bejing Olympics, 08/12/2008
The procedures of an ancient Chinese marriage are captured in the phrase “Three (3) Letters and Six (6) Etiquettes”.
What are the three letters?
The Three Letters are the engagement letter, the delivery of gifts letter and the taking of the bride letter.
In ancient times, if a man is interested in a woman, he will engage a middlemen (a middle-women actually) to explore the possibility and if appropriate to convey his intentions to the woman’s family. If the woman’s family finds him acceptable, they will notify him and he can make the official proposal by delivering the formal letter of engagement on an auspicious date.
At this stage the women’s family can still say no to the proposal. As you would expect there are still a lot of things to sort out and to negotiate over.
If the proposal is accepted, the next step is to deliver wedding gifts to the woman’s family. These wedding gifts which are normally expensive are accompanied by the ‘Delivery of Gift’ letter which is essentially a list of items and quantity much like a delivery order! By signing this letter and taking delivery of the gifts, it signifies the women’s family acceptance of the marriage.
The itemized ‘Delivery of Gift’ letter is also a safeguard against pilferage by the delivery team!
The third letter is known as the ‘Taking the Bride’ Letter as it is the letter that the groom produces when he arrives at the bride’s home on the wedding day. Upon acceptance of the letter, the bride is deemed to have joined the groom and become a member of the groom’s family.
It is no wonder why the bride mothers weep uncontrollably on wedding days. It is like losing a daughter!
What then are the Six Etiquettes?
It refers to the six main procedures in an ancient Chinese marriage. It includes the official proposal, the checking of Ba Zi (compatibility using a system of Chinese Astrology), selection of auspicious date for the wedding, delivery of gifts, confirmation of wedding dates and finally the wedding itself.
Once the man has set his eyes on the girl, he sends an official proposal to the woman’s family. Once the proposal is accepted, he will seek the services of an astrologer to determine if they are compatible. Research will also be done to ensure that there is no blood relationship between them. At this stage the engagement can be called off if they are not compatible or if their blood line are somewhat connected.
The next step is the selection of auspicious date for wedding followed by followed by the delivery of gifts.
After the gifts are accepted, the woman’s family will seek an astrologer to check the auspiciousness of the proposed wedding.
This followed by the six and final etiquette, the wedding itself!
Infertility is a major problem facing couples and newly weds. The treatment for infertility has been under research since the early days. And from 200AD onwards, there had been many ways to conceived and treat infertility. Couples can now try several methods of addressing this problem. And the role of Chinese medicine is crucial when it comes to this health concern.
However, as far as the researches are concerned, there is yet a single herb that can be used against fertility. The treatment of infertility depends upon countless of factors. Diagnosis might be required prior to the recommendation of certain herbs to treat infertility. A Chinese medical expert would have to determine first what deficiency, stagnancy, and heat the couple or the soon-to-be mother suffers from so that the right medication would be given.
For kidney and liver weakness, Chinese herbs such as ginseng, tang-kuei, eclipta, and epimedium can be prescribed. These herbs can nourish the qi, blood, yin, and yang respectively. They are best used to address concerns such as aching of the legs and back, frequent urination, impotence, irregular body temperature, and irregular menstruation.
Stagnancy is best treated with Chinese herbs such as red peony, salvia, carthamus, and persica. Stagnancy pertains to the condition wherein the reproductive organs are functioning but not at par with what is required to conceive. Hormonal problems belong to this group as well. By taking the herbs indicated above, the good functions of the organs are restored and the normal hormonal levels are restored. Stagnation is often characterized by the tense muscles, tumors, and swellings.
Heat issues are often treated with Chinese herbs such as gardenia, lonicera, partrinia, and phellodendron. When organs functions abnormally, heat is the most common culprit. Heat is also believed to be the root cause of male infertility as well as female gynecologic infections. To inhibit further infections of the organs and reduce inflammation, take the herbs listed above under the guidance of a licensed Chinese herbal expert.
In men, the Lui Wei Di Huang formulation is best recommended for infertility caused by low sperm count and low fluid volume when ejaculating. This Chinese herb formulation can address the kidney yin deficiency. On women, Chinese bitters can be used to address the excessive damp in the body. This is most recommended to overweight women.
Herbs such as the Yin Yang Huo, He Shou Wu, and Du Zhong can help considerably as well. These herbs address the vacuity of the kidney jing and the kidney yang. For infertility caused by the deficiency of the liver blood and yin, Dang Gui, Bai Shao, and Chuan Xiong are advised.
Other Chinese herbal medicines that can help with infertility are:
Cure Infertility With Qi Gung Treatment
This treatment is an energy healing exercise that enhances the flow of specific meridians into the body.
It can be combined with acupuncture and several Chinese herbal formulas. Qi Gung is a meditative, dance-like movement that coordinates one’s visualizations as it oxygenates the blood. It also enhances ones artistic nature at the same time.
Tang Kwei Pill Formula For Infertility
This medicine can be used as a daily supplement to maintain one’s impeccable health.
Taking this formula regularly can help treat deficiencies such as menstrual irregularities, palpitations, and most of all, infertility.
Take this medicine twice a day on an empty stomach. Take four to six tablets daily as a health maintenance regimen.
Take it for a minimum of one month up to a maximum of eleven months.
Chinese Bitters and Coptis For Infertility Treatment
Chinese bitters and coptis are proven to be effective for women who suffer from infertility. This Chinese medicine can help in inducing menstruation to those who has amenorrhea. It exerts downward pressure, which helps fertilized ovum to go down and get implanted in the uterus. Take this medicine in the first half of your menstrual cycle.
You have to stop taking the medicine during the period of pregnancy, though. You may take it again during the next ovulation period.
A wonderful wedding dress is a fantasy for many little girls—even after she becomes an adult and is unmarried. In the Unites States, we usually don’t wear our most adorable wedding gown when not in our weddings, but it is sort of a tradition for Chinese to-be-brides to wear a few outfits of wedding gowns with her to-be-husband for a wedding dress shooting before their wedding ceremonies.
Many to-husband-and-wife in China would choose to do so simply as a way to generate a beautiful memory. Of course, not each couple-to-be follows the tradition—it is widely accepted, but not enforced. At present, many foreign visitors to China are also appealed to have a special wedding dress shoot there as a way to memorize their wedding. If you visit the major scenic places like by the lakes, for example, of Wuxi, you may witness a wedding gown outdoor shooting for either Chinese or foreign couples.
Normally, wedding gown album shooting agencies provide wedding dress album shooting packages consisting of doing fittings, make-up, hair fixing, choosing outfits and of course, photo shooting. Western-styled wedding gowns are a must almost for almost every wedding dress album shoot. Varied from different costs and the shooting packages you choose, there are different packages of wedding gowns to choose from. Most are Western-styled, but costumes in other styles like minority costumes and traditional Chinese Cheongsam are also popular in wedding gowns album shoots. Likewise, to meet with different settings and wedding costumes, service staff from wedding gown shooting agencies may make various hair styles and make-ups for the couples-to-be. Usually, there are several service staff fussing around you to help you fix hair styles, make up, select wedding dresses, and fit the shooting settings and your poses. Besides, a wedding dress shoot normally consists of indoor shoots and outdoor shoots, taking at least an entire day to complete the shooting. Though it may be a little too tiresome, you can have a lot of fun with it!
Wedding gown album shooting is pervasive in China for several reasons. As far as I am concerned, 3 principal reasons may explain the popularity of the tradition. First, many Chinese young people regard Western-style wedding costumes as more fashion and more romantic apparel for the beautiful moment. And couples hope to create the beautiful memory with exquisite and interesting wedding dress album. It is happy to turn over the album to reflect on the lovely days of their love! Second, taking a wedding dress shoot is a means to spread the joy of the new couples among their families and relatives. New couples, especially new brides, love to present their wedding dress albums to people whom they are willing to share with their gaiety. Third, as the world’s most influential apparel manufacturing base, wedding gowns which come in various levels of fabrics and styles enjoy a very remarkable pricing. They are affordable even for low-paid people in China. In addition, prices on wedding dress album shooting services have various options according to the different levels of packages you opt for. On the average, a wedding dress album shooting costs you from about 1,000 RMB to more than 10,000 RMB.