Q: Dear Uncle Wang,

A recent survey revealed that Chongqing women are the cheapest brides in China to marry while women from Shanghai ranked the most costly for suitors.

Why is that? What is usually given as a betrothal gift and why does it need to be given anyways?

A: Before getting married, many husbands-to-be in China are expected to give betrothal gifts to the family of the bride-to-be. The gifts and the "bride price," which is given as cash in red envelopes, are negotiated by the two families in advance. The gifts may include food, wine, tea, jewelry and other traditional gifts based on the regional customs of a given province.

Usually it is cash in a red envelope or other traditional gifts based on the regional customs of a given province.

With the number of wealthy Chinese people increasing every year, the expectations for betrothal gifts are increasing too, with some families expecting future husbands to offer huge sums of money and buy houses and cars.

The recent survey ranked provinces according to the value of the dowry that is expected to be given by the husband's side of the family.

Chongqing was the only place in the "zero yuan" category, as local men are not expected to provide any betrothal gift to the girl's family, while Shanghai gifts had an average value of 100,000 yuan ($16,288) plus a house or apartment. More than 300 people across the country were polled for the survey.

Shanghai was followed by Tianjin, Liaoning Province, Jilin Province and Heilongjiang Province as the most expensive places for men to marry.

Traditionally, a dowry was brought by the bride's family to a marriage in order to ensure that she was treated well and included clothes, quilts, bath basins, tables, chairs, tea sets and tableware. Today, it is the man who pays the most.

For brides' families, the betrothal gift symbolizes the future status of their daughter in a new family and is a guarantee that the future husband will be able to secure a safe future for them. For many parents, the gesture is a symbol of true love.

One of the reasons that Shanghai women topped the list is simply down to the fact that Shanghai is the most expensive city in the country to live in, with real estate being more expensive here than anywhere else. Also, the cost of the wedding banquet and ceremony are more expensive compared to other cities.

Shanghai women are also widely thought to be overprotected by their parents and to be a little spoiled too.

Shanghai men, on the other hand, have a reputation for being the best boyfriends and husbands, and are said to be willing to contribute all of their savings to a marriage.

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