A bizarre wedding tradition in China sparked a heated debate online after images of a woman, taped to a telephone pole, circulated on social media.

Netizens were left horrified when a video from the Shanxi province of the Asian country captured several men tying up the bride as part of a game.

Dressed in traditional Chinese wedding attire, the woman cried out for help and reportedly tried to escape from the clutches of her groom’s friends.

Footage of a Chinese bride being bound to a telephone pole went viral, sparking a heated discussion about age-old wedding traditions

Image credits: Freepik

A friend, surnamed Yang, claimed that it was the groom’s childhood friends who engaged in the wedding ritual.

Yang also claimed the couple had agreed to the “game” beforehand and there was no “harm” intended.

“Making a bit of a scene at weddings is our local custom, all among good friends. There was no harm done,” he told Fengmian News, as quoted by South China Morning Post.

A friend claimed that the couple agreed to the “game” beforehand and that the groom was present during the incident

Image credits: weibo

The pal also claimed that the groom was present when his new Mrs. was tied up.

However, Yang’s justifications for the incident did not sit well with netizens, who slammed the “disgusting” wedding tradition and said there is no “excuse for hurting others.”

“Building your joy on someone else’s suffering is truly disgusting,” read one comment posted on a Chinese social media platform.

“These vulgar wedding customs are relics of a bygone era,” wrote another. “There is no excuse for hurting others.”

“Building your joy on someone else’s suffering is truly disgusting,” said one social media comment on the incident

Image credits: weibo

A third asked, “If something happens to the bride, who will take responsibility?”

Following the backlash sparked by the incident, the local government issued a statement and said they would take action to forgo outdated practices and have wedding customs that are more in tune with the current times.

The statement also included apologies from Yang and other wedding guests involved in the “game.”

It is common in Chinese weddings to witness mischievous behavior and pranks being played on the bride and groom

Image credits: Eugene L

In China, where warding off evil spirits with laughter is an age-old wedding tradition, families practice what is known as “hun nao.” The practice involves engaging in mischievous behavior or playing pranks on the newlyweds.

A 2014 survey involving 21,155 participants found that 79.2 percent of the respondents participated in or witnessed rough horseplay at weddings, and some of the incidents were described as vulgar and even contained sexual innuendos, according to a China Daily report.

Nearly 61% of the respondents said they detest the practice while 70% said they would boycott vulgar horseplay at weddings. Moreover, 74.3% of the respondents also said they believe the pranks do nothing to contribute to the success of the marriage.

Some netizens agreed that it was time to abolish certain outdated wedding traditions and practices

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