What began as a quiet fear of having empty seats at his wedding turned into one of China’s largest viral celebrations after an estimated 10,000 strangers showed up to support a 24-year-old orphan groom, Xiao Xiao Xu (Xiao Chenghong).
The groom, a native of Zhaotong in Yunnan Province, lost his father at age three. He was left by his mother when she remarried at age five. He then lost his grandmother, who raised him, at age seven.
He carried on with his life, all alone.
Having worked odd jobs in construction and delivery to save 160,000 yuan ($22,500) for his wedding, Xu was heartbroken that his side of the hall would only fill barely three tables.
To avoid the embarrassment, he posted an emotional invitation on social media (Douyin), inviting members of the public to join him on his big day so he wouldn’t feel alone.
Viral response and community support
Thousands of well-wishers poured into the village in Yunnan, overwhelming the initial venue and forcing organisers to expand the feast into a massive public space with buffet-style dining.
Professional chefs arrived on site to volunteer their services, while locals and visitors brought livestock, fresh produce, household appliances, and cooking supplies.
Supporters organised a full wedding car procession, with one well-wisher providing a Maybach luxury sedan for the newlyweds.
Government intervention
Local authorities stepped in to assist with crowd control, traffic management, food safety, and parking arrangements as the crowd swelled.
In the end, the poor orphan ended up getting married like the son of a president.
See a viral video of the story on our Telegram page.
A Note to Our Readers: We use advertisements to support the running of this website. Clicking some video links may open a pop-under advert in a new tab. This is part of our advertising arrangement and not, in itself, a sign of a virus or malware. Thank you for your understanding and support!
