The Change Of Marriage Custom In Xiangxiang Since Late Qing Dynasty And Republic Of China Era

The desire for family happiness is the highest ideal that human beings pursue for marriage life.Around the marriage of men and women,the human society has derived a rich and colorful,unique,and interesting marriage culture,which places People’s blessings and expectations for a happy marriage.Different marriage customs and concepts in different historical periods reflect the spirit of an era to a certain extent and become an integral part of social culture.In terms of physical geography,Xiangxiang,located in the valley area,the terrain is flat,from the eastern han dynasty to today there is not much change.The cultural geography of Xiang xiang,there is the "new Xiang xiang" and the "old Xiang xiang " difference,the current Xiang xiang,the county analysis of the former Xiang xiang in 1952,known as the "old Xiang xiang." "New xiang xiang" is smaller than "old xiang xiang".Most families in Xiangxiang are descendants of Jiangxi Province immigrants.In the early years of the Republic of China,the population decreased because of warlord warfare.During the war of resistance against Japanese aggression,refugees poured into the occupied areas and the population of the county increased.At the end of the war of liberation,the army,the government,the commerce and other emigrants returned their families to their hometowns,and the population soared.Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China,except for the cultural revolution and the propaganda period of family planning,the population growth rate of xiangxiang has been steadily increasing.At the end of the qing dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China,although the marriage custom in Xiangxiang was influenced by the western modern civilization,the new marriage emerged quietly,but the traditional marriage custom still played a leading role.During this period,the marriage age of men and women in Xiangxiang was generally within 20 years old.The marriage system mainly relies on the principle of "parents order and matchmaker’s word".The matchmaker role is extremely important;In the early years of the Republic of China,the abrogation of marriage for the abdomen advocated the freedom of marriage.Although there are subtle differences between urban and rural areas,the wedding ceremony generally reflects the characteristics of complicated marriage ceremony,clear marriage goal,narrow marriage circle and geographical environment factors.The main reasons for the changes of marriage customs in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China are the rise of the feminist liberation movement and the criticism of the old marriage by progressives.Thirty years after the founding of new China,the marriage law of the People’s Republic of China was promulgated and implemented,the arranged marriage and feudal marriage system were abolished,the monogamy system was implemented,and the "revolutionary" wedding ceremony appeared.Compared with the urban areas,the implementation of marriage law in rural areas of Xiangxiang is relatively lagging behind,maintaining more traditional marriage customs in Xiangxiang.The characteristics of the marriage custom in this period are: the simplification of the wedding form,the emphasis on the individual’s political status and the equality of husband and wife’s status.The change of marriage custom is due to the change of social system,the improvement of women’s social status,the implementation of marriage law of the People’s Republic of China,the change of family economic conditions,etc.The change of marriage custom in Xiangxiang since the reform and opening up is reflected in the change of standard of mate selection and diversification of mate selection.High consumption of marriage and wedding ostentation.The rise and fall of factories and mines and the development of market economy affect the range of population employment.After the implementation of the national policy of family planning,late marriage and late childbearing,the characteristics of getting married and getting older appear in Xiangxiang area.With the revision of the national marriage law,it also has a certain impact on the form of marriage.The changes of China’s industrialization,informatization and urbanization have a profound impact on the change of people’s view of marriage.These are the main reasons for the changes of marriage customs in Xiangxiang since the reform and opening up.In the process of inheriting and changing,the marriage custom in Xiangxiang not only has the universality of generalization at the national level,but also shows the relative difference of regions.The marriage custom in Xiangxiang is an indispensable part of the regional culture with Xiangxiang characteristics and the spirit of the city in the new era.Theformation of new marriage customs must be adapted to people’s pursuit and yearning for a better material life and spiritual life,and play a positive role in social progress and stability.