The Yi ethnic group is one of the larger ethnic minoritygroups of the more than 50 recognizedgroups in China，and its population is widelydispersed，with the greatest concentrations in Liangshanof Sichuan and Chuxiong and Honghe of Yunnan.Becausethere are many branches of Yi and they are widelydispersed，there are differences in the marriage customs，which tend to be more like those of the local population.
In general though，they all go through the same process：first become friends，then consult a matchmaker，followedby pre-engagement，getting engaged，the man takes awife and the couple get married.
Yi people generally wait until at least until the age of17 before getting married.At the time they marry，thegroom’s age must be even and the bride’s odd.Mostcouples choose to marry during the fall and winter slacktime for agriculture after the grain has been stored in thesilos，the lambs have been slaughtered and the wild geesehave flown south or during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Before the wedding ceremony，the bride is notallowed to eat anything for one，two or more days，andthe day before may not drink any water to ensure thatshe will not have to stop to relieve herself on the way tothe house of his future parents-in-law.Before the groomcan marry the bride，her family must send two youngmen，known as“xiamu”（usually cousins of the groom）
to present liquor to the groom’s family to indicate thewedding ceremony will take place as scheduled.Whenthe bride goes to the groom’s village，he does not godirectly to the bride’s house.Instead he goes to the huthe has constructed for the purpose ahead of time madeof new bamboo，pine branches and bamboo screens，known as the“Relative Reception Hut.”The bambooand pine branches signify that the bride and groom will always feel as young as the bamboo and pine and livetogether until they are old and gray.People twine blueand white strips of cloth into the bride’s hair before sheenters the home of the groom’s family at night（signaledby the stars coming out）and then bury the cloth undera peach or pear tree.After the bride enters the home ofthe husband’s family，she eats her first meal since thebeginning of her fast，the“crossing the threshold meal，”
accompanied by the sisters of the groom.At this timethe groom cannot show his face and cannot even turn onthe light while the others are eating.The next day（sameday in some areas）the bride returns home along with therelatives that accompanied her.The second day after thebride goes back home，the groom pays a return visit toher family accompanied by some young people of the villagecarrying alcoholic beverages and meat and leading asheep and a pig.After a few more days the groom’s familysends people to greet the bride and the new couplebegin their life together as husband and wife.
The Yi ethnic group believe that fresh water can get rid of evil，exorcize ghosts and bring good luck.Thebride must therefore be splashed with water.The man’sfamily selects several unmarried young men of the familywho are strong and capable，able to ward off the coldwater splashed by the villagers and able to carry out thedifficult task of“kidnapping the bride.”Actually，bothbride and groom are willing participants in the so-calledkidnapping of the bride，and the parents agree with itand the intermediary arranges it since it is just a marriagecustom.The young men sent by the man’s family givegifts to the woman’s family while rolling up the bride ina carpet.People in the woman’s family pretend like theyare trying to fight off the“kidnappers”and put soot fromthe bottom of a pot on the faces of the couple.In southernYunnan，the time and place of the kidnapping are all prearranged，often while the woman is in the fields workingor returning home after collecting firewood or collectingstraw on the outskirts of the village.The captured womanis led directly to the living room of the man’s family.Inaccordance with local Li custom，once the woman reachesthe living room of the man’s family she is considered formallymarried and cannot run away.
