A group wedding ceremony for 33 couples with physical disabilities from across the country was held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Thirty-three couples with physical disabilities from across the country took part in a group wedding ceremony in Chongqing on Saturday.
The love birds, ranging in age from 29 to 73, were newlyweds and couples who had been married for years or even as long as 52 years. They were from 13 provinces and municipalities, said Li Canxue, who initiated the event.
A group wedding ceremony for 33 couples with physical disabilities from across the country was held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The wedding was sponsored by several corporations and Yichuan Aixinzhou Public Welfare Association. It was launched by Li in 2021.
Li, 51, said the wedding, together with three previous group wedding sessions held in Henan province in 2018, 2019 and 2021, had given some 140 couples a free wedding experience.
A group wedding ceremony for 33 couples with physical disabilities from across the country was held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"Because of their physical impairments, the couples might not have been able to have a perfect wedding as others do. Some of them had gone through a lot to find a soulmate," he said. "That's what we want to make up for, to pay tribute to their love and courage."
Li, nicknamed "Wheelchair Bro", was born in Yichuan county of Luoyang, Henan province. More than 20 years ago, he was injured and became a paraplegic as the result of an accident. He said that life had handed him many setbacks, but he has been treated well by people around him. So he wanted to pass on the kindness.
A group wedding ceremony for 33 couples with physical disabilities from across the country was held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
He has spent 12 years giving back to society. As of March, he had worked in public services for a total of 14,876 hours and has helped raise more than 5 million yuan ($707,000) for disabled people nationwide.
Li said he is moving forward in his philanthropic programs, including the group weddings, and through Aixinzhou (meaning free porridge in Chinese), an association that provides free breakfast, financial assistance and community services for the disabled.
A group wedding ceremony for 33 couples with physical disabilities from across the country was held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
A group wedding ceremony for 33 couples with physical disabilities from across the country was held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
A group wedding ceremony for 33 couples with physical disabilities from across the country was held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
A group wedding ceremony for 33 couples with physical disabilities from across the country was held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Li Canxue speaks at the group wedding held in Chongqing on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
