A few days ago, a Gansu netizen left a message on People's Daily Online, saying that they were talking about marriage with the person they had been talking to for several years, but they were forced to break up because of the nearly 300,000 yuan dowry.
Zhengning County, Gansu Province replied that it has issued a policy that clearly stipulates that the bride price for marriage in rural areas should not exceed 80,000 yuan, and that for public officials should not exceed 60,000 yuan.
The bad influence of the sky-high bride price has already spilled over to the family and has become an important social governance issue.
The act of asking for sky-high betrothal gifts is like turning marriage into a business, which is the objectification and alienation of people (mainly women), leaving marriage with the hidden danger of overdrafting both economic and love.
According to the relevant provisions of the "Civil Code" and "Criminal Law", although the act of asking for a high-priced bride price does not constitute the crime of extortion, it may be suspected of the crime of violent interference with the freedom of marriage.
In April 2021, my country established the first batch of "marriage customs reform pilot zones" to solve bad marriage habits such as sky-high betrothal gifts.
Some reform pilot and non-pilot regions have introduced a guiding "price limit" for wedding gifts.
It should be emphasized that the "price limit" of the betrothal gift is only a phased governance move, and does not necessarily convey the value orientation of "reasonable betrothal gifts". We should be wary of the remarks that advocating price limit guidance is equal to encouraging betrothal gifts.
The terminal of the limit points to the limitless, points to the freedom of marriage.
The causes of sky-high betrothal gifts are influenced by many factors such as economy, concepts, customs, etc. Governance is also inseparable from the combined forces of self-governance, rule of virtue and rule of law.
(Wenyang)