Divorcees are now banned from hosting wedding parties in Fenggang County, Guizhou Province, in Southwest China, according to a Thursday report by Chongqing Daily, as reposted by the Global Times.
According to documents issued by the county's Party committee on Sunday, if both partners were previously married and divorced, they are not allowed to host a wedding party. This includes divorced couples who want to throw a party for getting back together.
The Party committee said that the new rule applies to all residents of Fenggang, including those who have moved to the county from other areas.
However, the rule only targets luxurious parties wherein the couples can receive cash gifts from their guests, according to a Fenggang publicity department official.
The official added that the rule was still undergoing a review process and has yet to be enforced, reported Shangyou, a mobile news app.
The local government of Fenggang County has been tough on parties and those who celebrate them for the past few years.
Since 2014, it has released rules that concern the issue. According to the rules, residents must inform authorities before holding parties to celebrate weddings, housewarmings, birthdays, baby showers and even funerals.
Additionally, civil servants are not allowed to hold parties at all, including feasts for graduations and students celebrating their teachers.
While the local residents of Fenggang County have complained in the past about the cost of throwing parties and giving gifts, especially when government officials are concerned, many believe that the new rule has gone too far since it is interfering with personal affairs, according to a media report on Thursday.
According to lawyer Zhang Xinnian, the Fenggang Party committee is suspected of abusing its power because there is no law in China that bans citizens from holding parties.
Zhang pointed out that the committee had the right to release regulations only for local government officials, not for ordinary citizens. He also suggested that the local committee should encourage citizens to be thrifty, not impose coercive policies.