A funeral came soon after a wedding for a groom who died from complications due to horseplay. Grieved relatives of the deceased have called on the public to reflect on wedding traditions.

Three days after getting married, 24-year-old groom Li Ruijiang from Shanxi Province was admitted to the hospital for a suspected tracheal rupture. According to a video provided by his sister, Li's friends were constantly slapping him on the back during the event. He later died with no clear cause of death.

Netizens lashed out against the Chinese wedding tradition that sees friends make fun of the new couple and force them to drink a lot. According to Tan Kejian, a researcher at the Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences, sometimes the degree of horseplay is thought to match the depth of a friendship. However, unbridled slapstick and too much wine in a short time can spell trouble for the bride and groom. Tan also appealed to the public to be more civilized.

Li's case is not an isolated one. In January this year, a groom in Zhejiang Province also died from drinking too much at his wedding.

Netizens called for people to be more reasonable with their horseplay at weddings and to know when enough is enough. They also voiced concerns that many people are ignorant of the risks involved in these incidents.

China News Service