Shanghai surprise: nine couples for TV honeymoon

CHINESE newlyweds stopped traffic yesterday on their way to a special wedding blessing which will be beamed into millions of homes next month.

The nine couples, who are in Ireland on a group honeymoon, dressed in traditional Chinese wedding costumes and strolled through Cork city centre to attend the ceremony at City Hall. It was recorded for their country’s prime-time hit TV show, Dating on Saturday.

The ceremony, led by show presenters Lei Cheng and Ni Lin, will be screened to more than three million viewers next month.

The couples were married en masse during China’s world-famous Rose Wedding ceremony in Shanghai last week.

The city’s huge festival celebrates marriage and takes place every October.

The newlyweds are feted as celebrities and paraded through the streets, which come alive with festivals and entertainment.

They chose Ireland as the destination for their group honeymoon following an invitation from Fáilte Ireland last year.

Cork was twinned with Shanghai two years ago and yesterday’s event was evidence of a deepening relationship between the two cities.

The couples visited Cork’sfamous English Market before attending the half-hour blessing.

This morning, they are due to travel to Ballymaloe House for cookery lessons and the Midleton Distillery.

They will also visit Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Dublin over the coming days. The trip is organised in association with Fáilte Ireland South-West and Tourism Ireland.

Every part of the trip will be filmed by the Dating on Saturday crew.

Fiona Buckley, the acting general manager of Fáilte Ireland South-West said the unique visit provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland as a holiday destination.

Jim Paul, the head of new and developing markets with Tourism Ireland, said: “As China is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, overseas travel is growing rapidly.

“Thirty-four million people travelled overseas from China in 2006 and this figure is expected to grow to 100 million by 2020.

“We are delighted to be hosting this year’s event. Increased promotional activity in China, like the Rose Wedding, helps raise awareness of Ireland as a premier holiday destination.”

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Rose Wedding programme which is part of the annual Shanghai Tourism Festival.