七夕[1](Qixi)是传说[2]中牛郎与织女[3]相会的日子。23日农历七月初七(Seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calender)，来自黑龙江(Heilongjiang)、山东(Shandong)、北京(Beijing)、江苏(Jiangsu)、湖南(Hunan)等13个省市的16对新人[4]，相聚在桂林(Guilin)。他们穿上婚纱礼服[5]，在美丽山水风景下，许下"相伴终生"[6]的誓言[7]。

来自山西太原(Taiyuan, Shanxi)的新娘郝小姐领结婚证[8]后，一直期待着在一个特别的日子，找一个特别的地方办婚礼。丈夫王先生为网络上搜索[9]，然后默默筹备[10]，最终给了郝小姐一个惊喜。安徽(Anhui)的喻先生与辽宁(Liaoning)的高小姐相识于网络游戏[11]中，很快坠入爱河[12]。如今，两人在梦幻般[13]的漓江(Li River)，一起感受那份特别的浪漫。

下午1点，新人们伴着婚礼进行曲[14]，登上五星豪华游轮[15]，开始婚礼仪式。当司仪[16]一一问出"你愿意吗"，婚礼进入高潮[17]。16对新人共同说出了32句"我愿意"，"相伴终生、不离不弃"的誓言。新人们交换戒指[18]，并放飞气球[19]。

婚礼最后，市旅游局(municipal Department of Tourism)、民政局(the municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs)相关领导发称希望越来越多的人参与文明婚礼，践行绿色[20]、低碳[21]的生活理念。

                   Group wedding on the Lijiang: a new attraction promoted by the city of Guilin

According to the legend, Qixi (the 7^th evening of the 7^th lunar month) is the date when "The Cowherd and the Girl Weaver" met. On August 23, the 7^th day of the 7^th lunar month, newlywed couples from Heilongjiang, Shandong, Beijing, Jiangsu, Hunan and other 8 provinces and cities assembled in Guilin. They put on festive wedding clothes and under the beautiful landscape of mountains and water they made an oath to "stay together their whole lives".

A newlywed couple from Taiyuan, Shanxi, Ms. Hao, hoped to make a wedding ceremony in a unique day, in a unique place, ever since she obtained her marriage certificate. Her husband Mr. Wang looked on the internet and made secretive preparations before surprising Mrs. Hao. Mr. Yu from Anhui and Ms. Gao from Liaoning have met on an internet gaming website. Very fast they fell into the river of love. Today, the couple is in the dreamlike Li River, enjoying a special flavor of romance.

At 1pm, the couples walk along with the 'wedding march', getting on a luxurious 5-stars cruise beginning the wedding ceremony. When the conductor of the ceremony ask "are you willing...?" the event reaches it's climax. 16 couple say together 32 sentences of oath "I do", "together for our entire life, not leaving and not giving up". The couples exchange rings and released balloons to the air.

After the wedding ceremony, leading personnel of the city's Department of Tourism and the municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs make a speech, hoping that more and more people would participate in this civilized ceremonies, practicing a 'green' and 'low carbon' concepts of life.

Original article published by gxnews.com.cn

[1]七夕 qīxī - Qixi, the seventh evening of the seventh lunar month, also known as the traditional 'Chinese Valentine's'

[2] 传说 chuánshuō - Legend, tradition

[3] 牛郎与织女 niúláng yǔ zhnǚ- 'The Cowherd and the Girl Weaver'; an ancient romantic tale that is the foundation for the Qixi festive day

[4] 新人 xīnrén - Newlywed

[5] 婚纱礼服 hūn shā lǐfú - wedding yarn, festive wedding clothes

[6] "相伴终生" xiāngbàn zhōngshēng - 'Accompany one another for the entire life'

[7] 誓言 shìyán - oath

[8] 结婚证 jiéhūn zhèng - wedding certificate

[9] 搜索 sōusuǒ- search the internet

[10] 筹备 chóubèi - prepare

[11] 网络游戏 wǎngluò yóuxì - internet games

[12] 坠入爱河 zhuì rù ài hé - 'fall into the river of love'

[13] 梦幻般 mènghuàn bān - drealike

[14] 婚礼进行曲 hūnlǐjìnxíng qǔ - 'The wedding march'

[15] 五星豪华游轮 wǔ xīng háohuá yóu lún - 5-star luxurious cruise

[16] 司仪 sī yí  - conductor of the ceremony

[17] 高潮 gāocháo - climax

[18] 交换戒指 jiāohuàn jièzhi - exchange rings

[19] 气球 qìqiú - balloons

[20] 绿色 lǜsè - 'green', environmental

[21] 低碳 dī tàn - low carbon