Xiao Xiao Xu’s Wedding: How Thousands Answered an Orphan’s Invite
Originally published by Kahawatungu — Read the original article →
In rural Yunnan, China, a 24-year-old groom feared his wedding day would be a lonely one. Known online as “Xiao Xiao Xu” (小小徐), or “Little Xu,” and named in some reports as Xu Chenghong, he had grown up without parents and with almost no close family left. Rather than accept a nearly empty hall, he posted a video on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, inviting strangers to celebrate with him. He reportedly expected 10 to 20 people. Instead, thousands came.
Xu is from Yunfeng Village in Yiliang County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. His father died of illness when Xu was about 3 years old. His mother remarried and left the family when he was about 5. His grandmother then helped care for him and his older brother, but she died about two years later, when Xu was around 7.
After that, Xu and his older brother largely made their own way. Xu dropped out of school around Class 7 to work and support himself. By the time he planned his wedding, his family had shrunk to almost no one. His closest relatives were his older brother and a younger brother. He had worked for years and reportedly saved more than 160,000 yuan for his wedding and bride price.