CHINESE WEDDING

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1933, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHINESE WEDDING

CEREMONY IN AUCKLAND. QUAINT RITUAL OBSERVED. The quaint ritual of the Cantonese was curiously intermingled with the "procedure of the Presbyterian Church when a Chinese wedding took place on Wednesday in the church of the Auckland Chinese Presbyterian Mission. Cook Street. Intense interest was aroused by the ceremony, the small church being crowded, mostly by women, although in the front rows there was a representative assembly of Chinese. Everybody was welcome, however, and the Rev. Y. S. Chau, the officiating minister, made a point of expressing the appreciation of the Chinese community that such interest should be taken.

Conventional music was played by the organist when the bride, Miss Rona Gwendoline Sai Louie, was led to the altar, where the bridegroom, Mr. Ng’ Wai Poi, of Parnell, was waiting. The Rev. J. A. Thomson, of St. Luke’s Church, Remuera, and the Rev. W. Mawson, missioner to the Chinese, were on the platform. At the instruction of the minister the congregation rose to bow before the Chinese national flag as a prelude to the actual ceremony, the order to stand for this observance being given both in English and Cantonese. Hymns were then sung, the books being in Chinese and English. It was noticeable that several Chinese especially well acquainted with English shared hymn books with European members of the congregation. Then- followed the signing of the register, but it was not the end of the ceremony by any means. Mr. W. Choy, representing the Kuo Min Tang, offered the congratulations of that organisation, the Chinese Nationalist Party, and the father of the bridegroom, Mr. Ng" Fong Kee, supported by the minister, addressed words of exhortation to the newlymarried couple. In the meantime the bride and bridegroom bowed with due courtesy to their parents, and also to the congregation. Lastly, they bowed to each other.