The Yao ethnic community in Mau Son Commune, Lang Son Province in northern Vietnam is well known for hosting betrothals in the dead of night.
Lensman Nguyen Son Tung, a Lang Son Province resident and author of this series of photos, has spent much time learning about the traditonal customs of the local Yao ethnic group in Loc Binh District's Mau Son Commune.
Yao weddings are particularly unique, taking place in the late night.
The ceremony to welcome the bride is grand, with a team that plays trumpets and relatives lining both sides
The groom places 12 pairs of chopsticks, 12 bowls and 12 cups of wine on the altar to pay respect to ancestors and family.
According to Yao custom, the groom is not allowed to see the bride's face until the rituals are performed. This tradition serves to avoid bad luck.
After the shaman completes the rituals, relatives provide wine, poured into a cup, placed on a rice sieve and drunk in gratitute. Each person is offered a cup of wine with a piece of boiled pork liver to celebrate the union.
At the end of the ceremony, the groom's family provides a big music-filled feast that can last up to 4 a.m.
Such ceremonies also give the elderly and opportunity to recall their vibrant youth. Previously, Yao weddings, involving many rituals, could last three days and three nights. Nowadays, they are shortened to only one.
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