The many social and family gatherings in the Dong society provide ample opportunities for the young to meet, to socialize, and eventually to court and find a mate. The older generation purposely makes the arrangement at the 'Moon Hall', where single young people can meet and get acquainted. They believe that the younger generation should be encouraged to meet in a favorable setting. 'Moon Hall' is usually a spacious and open room belonging to a family that has at least one unmarried daughter. Some families set aside one or two rooms for their unmarried daughter to share with her female friends. In this setting, the girls could sleep, weave, and share their friendship as single girls.

In the Moon Hall are spinning wheels, weaving machines, and embroidery tools. During the day, these girls help their families, but in the evening, the girls gather together in the Moon Hall and weave, embroider, and sing. When the young men hear the girls singing, they would come to the Moon Hall with their musical instruments such as the Ox-leg Qin and Pipa and accompany the girls. As the days go by, you can be sure many friendships blossom into love and romance with the end result of a happy marriage.

Most of the Dong weddings occur near Lunar New Year's eve. Chunshe Festival and Double Six Celebration are two other popular wedding dates. Before the wedding, the future bride prepares for her ceremony in secret. Even the introductory meeting of the future in-laws is carried out under cover by the match maker. Many wedding ceremonies are held on the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year. After the ceremony, the bride will return to her own family to live, never to her new husband's home. She'll then visit her husband at his family home on special holidays, or during harvest season to render help. At these times, she will be treated as a guest in the house. Only after she is pregnant with her first born, will she become an official member of her husband's family.

Dong Villages
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Culture of Dongs
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