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A man from Tianjin surnamed Wang, was recently deceived by a woman who convinced him to pay for a superstitious “marriage bed burning” ritual. Wang had met the woman, surnamed Li, on an online dating platform. Li claimed to be a wealthy, single jewelry store owner with multiple properties, and after meeting in person, Wang became convinced of her affluent lifestyle.
As their relationship progressed and marriage plans developed, Li introduced Wang to a supposed “marriage bed burning” ritual. According to Li, the ritual involved burning the bed she had once shared with her now-deceased ex-husband to bring closure before moving on with Wang. To perform the ritual, Li told Wang he needed to pay 100,000 yuan (approximately $14,000) and that his presence at the ceremony would bring bad luck. She assured him the money would go to her late husband’s family as a gesture of respect.
Trusting her, Wang transferred the funds and awaited confirmation. Li later sent him video clips of a supposed bed-burning ceremony, but shortly after, she blocked him on social media and disappeared. Realizing he’d been scammed, Wang contacted the police, who uncovered Li’s history of using similar tactics to defraud other men. In a previous case, she had used a similar story to swindle an additional $42,000 from another victim.
Tianjin’s Heping District Court found Li guilty of fraud and sentenced her to 42 months in prison, along with a fine. The case has drawn attention to the exploitation of outdated marriage customs by fraudsters in China. These scams are not uncommon, as some traditional practices, like marriage bed rituals, continue to carry cultural significance for certain families. This includes customs like allowing young boys to roll on a marriage bed to bring good fortune and male offspring, though younger generations increasingly reject these practices as outdated and sexist.
The incident has sparked commentary online, with one netizen remarking, “Love really does make people blind - he fell for a scam that seems so obvious in hindsight.” Wang’s experience is a cautionary tale of how scammers can exploit cultural superstitions, leaving hopeful romantics financially and emotionally devastated.
