Special Wedding Shoes

During the wedding ceremony, the bride usually wears special wedding shoes. For example, in Southern Fujian Province, the bride has to wear a pair of shoes embroidered with patterns of a turtle or a deer, which symbolizes blessing, happiness, and longevity after marriage.

In southern Zhejiang Province, making shang jiao xie (shoes worn while stepping into the sedan chair) before getting into the sedan is akin to praying for auspiciousness.

Either the bride or others can make the wedding shoes. These kinds of shoes are made with red and green cloth and usually with a soft sole, and are worn by the bride as she steps into the sedan chair. In some places, relatives who are thought to have good fortune make such shoes, while in other areas, they are made by the bride and another single girl on the morning of the wedding day.