Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 24th Title: How to break high-value bride gifts in rural areas? The 2025 Central Document No. 1 emphasizes this term

Xinhua News Agency reporters Gu Yiping and Xiong Jialin

"Discussing money hurts feelings, but not talking about money has no feelings"... Some familiar rumors reveal the embarrassing situation behind the phenomenon of high brides in some rural areas of my country. The 2025 Central Document No. 1 released on the 23rd further proposed a solution to this issue, focusing on "comprehensive governance".

The document proposes to promote the comprehensive management of high-value bride gifts in rural areas, give full play to the role of organizations such as the Women's Federation and the Communist Youth League, and strengthen public welfare marriage services and care for rural marriage-friendly groups.

Rural high bride gifts are not a new problem. In recent years, the Central Document No. 1 has been continuously deploying solutions. For example, the 2022 document proposes to "carry out special governance of prominent issues in key areas such as high-priced brides and large-scale ceremony" The 2023 document proposes to "strengthen the binding role of village rules and regulations, party members and cadres take the lead in demonstration, and carry out special governance of prominent issues in key areas such as high-priced brides and large-scale ceremony." The 2024 document proposes to "encourage all localities to use comprehensive rural service venues to provide universal social services for farmers' weddings and funerals, and reduce the burden of human favors in rural areas."

There are many reasons for the high bride price in rural areas. Qiu Tongwei, associate professor at Nanjing Agricultural University, told reporters that traditional concepts, gender imbalances, economic factors, etc. are closely related to high-value brides in rural areas.

To solve complex problems, we cannot treat the head or the foot pain. What we need is the "comprehensive governance" mentioned in the Central Document No. 1.

"To reduce the burden on marriage and to add points to happiness requires efforts and comprehensive measures." Qiu Tongwei said that the document mentioned that "give full play to the role of organizations such as the Women's Federation and the Communist Youth League" is to allow relevant parties to show their strengths, gather strength, and form a good ecological and solid chain for managing high-value brides in rural areas.

The reporter found in the interview that many places are actively exploring. For example, Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province was the first to set a bride price of 60,000 yuan, and Ningxia rewarded state-owned scenic spot ticket discounts through the "zero bride certificate".

In early February this year, Chen Yunsong, a villager from the Yinlongxia Group of Duxi Village, Junbu Township, Yongfeng County, Jiangxi Province, and his wife Guo Yuanlin tied the knot. This new couple is a teacher couple, who starts a new life with the method of "zero dowry".

Guo Yuanlin told reporters that some villagers used to think that the bride price should be high to show face. As everyone's concepts change, more and more villagers realize that good days should be managed by both husband and wife, rather than piled up bride price. As teachers, they hope to advocate healthy and civilized concepts of marriage and love with practical actions.

This year's Central Document No. 1 also mentioned that "strengthening crackdown on illegal acts such as marriage, custody and marriage fraud." Previously, courts in many places have announced many typical cases of asking for property in the name of bride price. The interviewed experts said that this is also an important part of "comprehensive governance", aiming to protect the legitimate rights and interests of farmers from a legal level and then purify the marriage and love environment. This deployment is very necessary.

In the process of "comprehensive governance", "restraint" is essential, and "care" is equally important. Zhu Weidong, deputy director of the Central Finance and Economics Office and deputy director of the Central Rural Affairs Office, said at a press conference of the State Information Office on the 24th that in response to the issue of high-value brides, binding norms and advocacy standards should be formulated in light of actual conditions, and public welfare marriage services and concern for rural marriage-friendly groups should also be strengthened.

"The transformation of the masses' ideas and lifestyle requires a process. To change customs in rural areas, we must avoid using storms and 'one-size-fits-all' methods to work hard and recklessly, instead of constantly working hard, morality nourishes people's hearts and turns customs into customs." Zhu Weidong said that the key is to do the mass work in a solid and practical manner and explain the truth clearly. We must not only resolutely say no to bad customs, but also help farmers find ways out and find solutions.