Bryan and Grace journeyed onward to the second part of their wedding in Ningbo, China. Ningbo is a port city that’s a good 3 hours drive south of Shanghai. Unlike its more glamourous cousin up north, Ningbo is probably off the map for most Lonely Planet-toting tourists. It’s main attraction is the enormous shopping city-within-a-city called Tian Yi Square that’s visible from Google Earth. And, oh yes, they have a BreadTalk outlet too!
Date: 4 October 2008
Venue: Sheraton Ningbo Hotel
Bridal boutique: Taipei Levanto
You may have seen their first wedding in Singapore.
Bryan generously housed the wedding entourage in the brand new Ningbo Marriott Hotel that opened in June 2008.
Here’s a grey morning view of a city that’s in a state of constant flux. Unfortunately progress here means that old heritage buildings are readily torn down to make way for new steel and glass designs. Ningbo’s Bund actually pre-dates the well-known Shanghai one but there’s nothing left of the original except for a small Clarke Quay-type development at the river’s edge.
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Here’s Grace’s best friend who also attended the wedding in Singapore.
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Grace’s aunties busied themselves making homemade xiao long bao (steamed Shanghai dumplings).
One of the more unusual forms of transportation that whizzed past me outside Grace’s home.
Grace’s uncles consult the instructions for the confetti cannon with cigarettes dangling in their fingers. These things are loud and explosive as you will soon see.
Yet another uncle carries firecrackers as small and lethal like chilli padi. Don’t be misled by the size of these crackers.
Grace’s aunty lays out the firecrackers for an explosive welcome for Bryan…
…and they wait in anticipation.
Meanwhile the kids are bored and start playing with the confetti cannons like wushu poles. Careful kids!
The firecrackers are lit. He’s accompanied by one of his brothers from Singapore.
The noise is truly fierce and deafening…only to be topped off by two confetti cannons going off at the doorway.
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Grace’s nephew didn’t take too kindly to the noise.
The gatecrashing scene involved pushing past her shouting aunties with brute force.
Nonetheless Bryan makes it up the stairs and indoors to fetch Grace and they settle down to juicy steamed dumplings.
The wedding entourage wait for their cars.
And what a lot of cars her uncles had!
The evening banquet was held at the Sheraton Ningbo.
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Everything in China is built on a large scale and these orbs hanging from the ballroom ceiling are no exception.
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Here’s something I never expected to find in Ningbo of all places — pavlova! Pavlova is the name given to a meringue cake that is Australian as Australian Football. I suspect the pastry chef must be a homesick Australian expatriate.
Not only is there pavlova but Wolf Blass sparkling wine as well! This is a popular wine label from South Australia. Now I’m pretty convinced that the F&B Manager must be Australian.
This chubby fellow, whom I nicknamed the Professor, enjoyed practising his repertoire of English phrases with me. His proud parents send him for English classes and I was happy to converse with him.
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Grace’s uncles consult the instructions on the confetti cannons again.
They await the signal from the stage…
…and boom!
Two things that you don’t commonly find on Singapore banquet tables. Number one is cigarettes.
Number two is the famed Shanghai hairy crab.
I was told that weddings in China are boisterous events with toasting…
…toasting…
…and yet more toasting of a variety of liquor. Here one member of the Singapore contingent gives his verdict on his drink.
They aren’t smoking. One uncle insisted Bryan and his brothers share a meal of hairy crab with him before he could accept Bryan’s toast.
Thankfully this is Coca Cola!
Here is Grace’s father again. He’s the ex-national basketball player remember?
The men come back feeling a bit better after their drinking bout.
Bryan thanks Grace for a job well done! Bryan organised the Singapore wedding while Grace did the Ningbo wedding.
Thank you also Bryan & Grace for your warm hospitality in China and for being my patient translators and interpreters!
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Stunning bride and photos
And they look like they drunk a lot!