Canadian Corey Allen, 22, tied the knot with a Chinese girl Molly Chen, 20, during the Spring Festival in Shenzhen, thus starting a journey of culture shocks.

The first shock was the traditional Chinese wedding. Dressed in red Chinese clothes, Allen had to answer questions about the bride before he could “fetch” her. She was sitting in a sedan chair covered in red silk. Allen experienced many other tests later, such as running around the wedding venue while carrying the bride.

“It’s absolutely different from Western weddings. It was a lot of fun,” said Allen.

He was also moved when the father-in-law presented the young couple diaries he had kept for his daughter since her birth.

“My father-in-law is very energetic. He likes to take pictures. He looks 50 but his heart is as young as 25,” Allen said.

The father lavished praise on Allen. “The boy is persevering and honest. He likes to debate with me about things he thinks unreasonable. He is also caring for the elderly. We like him very much.”

“But I was really shocked when I first learned that my daughter would marry a foreigner,” the father said.

“My daughter called just two hours before their wedding ceremony in Canada. Later I found out I hadn’t received an email sent by her two weeks before.”

A corporal in the Canadian military, Allen specializes in computer engineering. He found Shenzhen a paradise where he can buy the most up-to-date hardware.

The newlyweds will spend their honeymoon traveling around China.

(Shenzhen Daily February 6, 2004)