Xu Chenghong, grew up with almost no one. His father died when he was about 3. Two years later, his mother remarried and left. When he was 7, the grandmother who was raising him and his older brother passed away too. He dropped out of middle school and worked construction and delivery jobs, saving up for the day he could marry the woman he loved.
When that day finally got close, the 24-year-old ran into a heartbreaking problem. He had almost no family to invite. While planning, the couple realized they could barely fill three tables. So he posted online, inviting strangers to come celebrate with him. He was hoping for maybe 10 or 20 people so it wouldn’t feel like a lonely affair.
The internet showed up. Thousands of people reportedly traveled from across the country to be there. And they didn’t come empty-handed. Guests reportedly brought pigs, live ducks, two cows, a refrigerator, cooking equipment, and 9,999 roses. Shanghai Daily reported that 1.2 tons of apples arrived, along with a whole pig delivered overnight.
Feeding everyone became its own operation. According to Shanghai Daily, about 150 chefs came in to cook. Organizers had to scrap the plan for a sit-down meal and switch to a buffet. A wedding planner traveled in from Hunan Province to help set up the venue. Villagers reportedly installed new streetlights along the roads, China Mobile brought in extra 5G equipment, and local officials stepped in to manage parking, traffic, and lines. The big day was Saturday, October 31.