Sanya’s Haitang District civil affairs bureau has opened free registration for the 2026 Haitang District Qixi Collective Wedding, an official release from the Sanya Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau announced. Themed “Love in Hainan, Hearts in Haitang” (爱在海南·心动海棠), the event seeks 10 couples to take part in an immersive, orthodox Chinese-style wedding ceremony at the Qixi Festival, with ancient rites as the dowry and the mountain-and-sea breeze as witness. The wedding is set for August 19, 2026 (the seventh day of the seventh lunar month), at the district’s marriage registration office and the Fairmont Haitang Bay Sanya, with registration closing at 18:00 on August 14, 2026.
The collective wedding is hosted by the Haitang District Civil Affairs Bureau, co-organized by the district’s publicity department, its culture and tourism bureau, and the Fairmont Haitang Bay Sanya, and undertaken by the Sanya Employee Psychological Assistance Association. Eligible couples are those registering their marriage in Haitang District on Qixi itself, as well as couples who endorse civilized wedding customs and simplified ceremonies. Only 10 slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the entire event is free with no hidden charges.
The organizers have designed four signature highlights for the ceremony. First, the venue: the wedding will be staged at the Fairmont’s Wood Art Gallery in Haitang Bay, a setting of blue-brick architecture, lantern-lined streets and waterside boat landings where every step opens a new scene — an immersive Eastern architectural tableau that delivers a drama-grade Chinese wedding without traveling to an ancient town. Second, complete complimentary bridal styling: the organizers provide full traditional wedding attire — xiuhu robes and dragon-and-phoenix embroidered gowns — plus fine accessories, with dedicated makeup artists crafting an elaborate Chinese red bridal look, in the organizers’ words, “robed in splendor, joy in the eyes, freezing the gentlest and brightest newlywed image of Qixi.” Third, an orthodox ancient wedding ritual: following the old rites, the ceremony reproduces the complete traditional sequence — three bows to Heaven and Earth, the red-rope binding of fate, lifting the bridal veil with a Ruyi (如意) scepter, the shared-gourd wine cup, the reading of wedding vows, and the final hand-in-hand salute — so that marriage “begins with solemnity, stays true to first intent, and endures through companionship.” Fourth, golden-wedding warmth: the event invites golden-anniversary elders who have spent half a lifetime together to share their stories of steadfast companionship, witnessing the new couples’ bond with the tenderness of long years and spreading a civilized wedding culture of simplified ceremonies and lasting love.
During the event window (August 18-19), couples staying at the Fairmont receive dedicated wedding benefits: a welcome fruit and pastry platter on check-in day; breakfast delivered to the room on the first morning; a “zaosheng guizi” (早生贵子) serving of tangyuan, noodles or dumplings on the event day, at the couple’s choice; a first-night minibar in the wedding suite; one Yunhe River cruise photo session; and a welcome bottle of red wine in the room.
The collective wedding aims to carry forward China’s fine traditional culture and promote a simple, civilized attitude toward marriage and love. By fusing Hanfu styling and traditional wedding customs with Sanya’s mountain-and-sea resort scenery, it also marks Sanya’s latest move in positioning itself as a Qixi wedding-travel destination. Couples interested in registering can learn more and apply through the Haitang District Civil Affairs Bureau’s official channels.