Taipei City’s Department of Civil Affairs will hold a group wedding at 9am on Thursday next week, Sept. 9 in the 99th year of the Republic of China, to give blessings to couples and the nation.
In Mandarin, the number nine has the same pronunciation as the Chinese word jiu (久), meaning “lasting” or “for a long time.” The city government described the “99999 Group Wedding” on Thursday next week as the “wedding of the century,” symbolizing everlasting happiness and invited the public to join in and celebrate the fortunate day with the newlyweds.
“This will be the first time a group wedding is held on such a special occasion,” department Commissioner Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹) said at Taipei City Hall. “The day is also an auspicious time in the lunar calendar and people are welcome to join us in celebrating the special day.”
Though the department had planned to hold three group weddings this year, it added the one next week after a suggestion from the public.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) will preside over the group wedding at the Butterfly Pavilion in Yuanshan to bless 163 couples.
The Butterfly Pavilion will also be the venue of the opening ceremony for the Taipei International Flora Exposition.
One of the participants in the 99999 group wedding next week, 26-year-old engineer Chen Jen-jie (陳仁杰), said he signed up for the group wedding because his birthday also falls on Sept. 9.
“The number ‘99999’ carries a very fortunate meaning and Sept. 9 is also my birthday. Getting married on the day would mean a lot to me and my bride,” he said.
Huang said the department would present a gold marriage certificate to each couple, as well as 10 ceremonial gifts, such as red thread, sugar and longan fruits that are given to the couples at traditional weddings to wish them luck. Newlyweds who register their marriage at the 12 district household registration offices on Thursday will also receive small gifts, she said.
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