A transnational couple who got married a year ago in the U.S. held a traditional Chinese wedding in recent days to honor the bride's culture.
The newlyweds, Brian, an American, and Fan Jiachen, a Chinese girl, decided to go back to Fan's hometown -- Changchun City in northeast China's Jilin Province, to prepare for their traditional Chinese wedding.
"We've already had our Western wedding. We wanted a small ceremony and we got that. When we started talking about this trip, I actually think I was the first one to mention it," said Brian.
Intercultural marriages are not just the union of two people, but also the union of two families and two cultures.
"We do a lot of things we don't understand. All I do know is that this is important to her and her family. And that's all I need to know," Brian said.
Nearly seven million couples get married every year in China and around half of them prefer a traditional wedding. Young generations in China are embracing the good of traditional rituals and adding some modern twists.
After the wedding ceremony, Brian called the experience better than he could have ever imagined.
"For him to learn more about my cultural background, I feel it is very important because that's what made me 'me,'" Fan said.
Transnational newlyweds hold traditional Chinese wedding in honor of bride’s culture
Multiple handheld pager explosions struck Beirut and the southeastern and northeastern regions of Lebanon on Tuesday, leading to a temporary internet shutdown in the southern suburbs of the capital city, according to China Media Group (CMG) reporter Ci Xiaoning.
"I am currently at the entrance of a major hospital in Beirut, Lebanon's capital. Around 15:30 today, there were several explosions in the southern suburbs of Beirut. My Lebanese colleague, who lives very close to the area, experienced an immediate loss of internet connectivity. Reports have since confirmed that many handheld pagers were involved in the explosions," Ci reported outside a hospital in Beruit.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad confirmed that the explosions resulted in at least nine deaths and about 2,800 injuries, with approximately 200 people in critical condition. The injured are being transferred to hospitals.
In a statement, Hezbollah said it is conducting security and scientific investigations to identify the reasons behind these explosions, adding that the group is "at the highest level of readiness to defend Lebanon and its people."
In a separate statement, the Shiite group blamed Israel for "this criminal attack," vowing to retaliate.
The Lebanese Council of Ministers stressed that the government, shortly after the deadly explosions, began contacting the concerned countries and the United Nations to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Israel has yet to comment on Tuesday's blasts. According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a security assessment meeting at the HaKirya military base in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to address the implications of the explosions.
CMG reporter says internet shutdown following deadly pager blasts in Lebanon
