- A 20-year-old bridesmaid in China suffered a spinal fracture during a wedding prank
- The prank involved tossing her in the air with a bedsheet, causing her to fall and injure
- She was hospitalized for 18 days and received a 20% permanent disability rating
A wedding prank in China has sparked outrage after a 20-year-old bridesmaid was left with a spinal fracture and a permanent disability, leading a court to hold the newlyweds and several members of the wedding party responsible. According to South China Morning Post, the incident took place in October 2023 when Zhang, who was serving as a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding, became the target of a traditional wedding hazing ritual known as hunnao.
Hunnao is an age-old Chinese custom that was originally meant to ward off evil spirits and help break the ice between newlyweds and guests. Over the years, however, it has increasingly come under scrutiny as it has evolved into aggressive and sometimes dangerous pranks involving the bride, groom, and members of the wedding party.
According to court records, Zhang was left alone in a room with about 10 men, most of them groomsmen. She was allegedly dragged out of a closet, thrown onto a bed, and then tossed into the air using a bedsheet. While the group caught her the first time, she fell to the floor during the second throw, suffering a burst fracture of her first lumbar vertebra.
Zhang was hospitalised for 18 days. A forensic judicial assessment conducted in August 2024 classified her injury as a Grade 9 disability, equivalent to a 20% permanent disability rating.
She sued the bride, groom, and nine others involved in the incident, seeking 270,000 yuan (about Rs 38 lakh) in compensation for medical expenses and emotional distress.
The court ultimately awarded her around 230,000 yuan (about Rs 32 lakh). It ruled that the newlyweds were 40% liable because, as organisers of the wedding, they were aware of the hazing but failed to stop it. The man who allegedly dragged Zhang out of the closet and suggested the prank was held 20% responsible, while the remaining participants were ordered to share the remaining 40% of the compensation after failing to prove they were not involved.
Dangerous wedding hazing incidents continue to make headlines in China. In 2018, a groom in Guizhou province suffered multiple injuries after being hit by a car while trying to escape a wedding prank. Earlier this year, another groom in the same province broke his leg while fleeing a similar ritual. A court later ordered those responsible to pay him 50,000 yuan in compensation.
