Classic love story gets a happy ending this time

A performance telling the story of a Miao ethnic wedding was held on the water in Fenghuang Ancient Town in Hunan province on Sunday and viewed by an audience of more than 1 million via livestream on the internet.

In the story, a bride named Cuicui and bridegroom Nuosong tie the knot, winning blessings from crowds watching from the banks.

The wedding ceremony performance was adapted from the story Border Town by the noted Chinese writer Shen Congwen.

Organizers hoped the event would reinvigorate local tourism, which has been seriously hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two protagonists in the original story end up drifting apart tragically, but there was a happy ending on Sunday.

Organizers said the adaptation aimed to show people's eagerness for true love, with a salute to Shen.

"The wedding ceremony show was fantastic and fulfilled Shen Congwen's dream," a tourist told reporters.