Bali has become a sought-after wedding destination after several high-profile nuptials by mainland and Taiwanese celebrities.
Magnificent sunshine, pure blue sky, exquisite villas overlooking the turquoise Indian Ocean – it is easy to figure out why Bali has become a favourite wedding destination for China’s A-list celebrities.
Yet, in a surprising twist, the island’s luxury resorts have also become popular with middle class Chinese couples who’ve taken an interest in Bali as a destination for their own weddings.
In fact, demand is such the island no longer has an “off season” as such, a period when business is particularly slack, according to luxury resort operators.
The picturesque Bali is where big-time Chinese thespians Yang Mi (楊冪) and her Hong Kong husband Hawick Lau tied the knot in 2014. Shanghai actress Liu Shishi, who shot to fame across Asia for romance drama Scarlet Heart, walked down the aisle with Taiwanese actor Nicky Wu there last year. Several months later, their friends, superstar couple Ruby Lin (林心如) and Wallace Huo (霍建華), threw a floral-themed wedding in Bulgari Resort Bali, packed with A-list attendees such as China’s highest-paid actress Fan Bingbing.
Each of the star-studded ceremonies went viral on social media, with photos featuring glamorous brides and grooms along with their guests shared on platforms such as Sina Weibo. The publicity helped raise awareness of Bali and its resorts, an eight-hour flight from Beijing.
Like many Asian cultures, Chinese are not shy about shelling out for weddings. For centuries, an elaborate wedding ceremony has been read as a sign of wealth and social status for the bride and groom, and their extended families.
However, a new generation of affluent urban Chinese millennials have taken the wedding concept to a more extravagant level.
Source & image: South China Morning Post
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