

Photos from a traditional marriage ceremony that took place recently in Jieshou city, Anhui province have caught the attention of the Chinese internet thanks to the non-traditional nationality of the bride-to-be.

The groom, 28-year-old Gao Tianyu, is an Anhui-native who moved to the Ukraine to study after graduating from high school. When he was done with school there, he stayed on to begin a business, NetEase reports.

On the streets of Kiev, one day four years ago, Gao spotted a local girl that made his heart skip a beat. He summoned up all his courage and started a conversation with her. Now, that girl has become his bride, a 22-year-old identified as “Alina.”



For four years, the couple had worked and lived together in the Ukraine. However, Gao was constantly homesick. This year, he and Alina finally decided to travel back to China to get married. They also decided to stay there afterward to begin their new life together.

The pair even opted for a very traditional Chinese wedding ceremony. You can check out some pictures below:









“There really are a lot of beautiful women in the Ukraine,” one netizen commented after viewing the pictures.

“This is more propaganda from the Ukrainian tourism bureau,” added another.

Chinese men have had some rather good luck finding spouses in the Ukraine. Back in 2014, the story of a Hebei man who came from humble beginnings to start his own business and marry a beautiful woman in the Ukraine lit up Chinese social media.



And last February, a Ukrainian woman living in Chengdu made a surprise proposal to her boyfriend while wearing a panda costume.



[Images via NetEase]

Eat with Shanghaiist