A group of 40 Chinese citizens will soon start married life with a decidedly shaky foundation. The 20 couples, who will be chosen from Sichuan earthquake survivors, will be married en masse courtesy of Chinese government, according to a Reuters report. At least half of the couples must include a Chinese official.
The group wedding, scheduled for April, is an effort to help replace families destroyed by the quake, according to the article. A special emphasis was placed on pairing government officials, who have reportedly been “working under huge mental pressure in rescue and rehabilitation work” and have seen higher than average suicide rates following the quake and loss of their families.