Chinese man presents USD 1.5 million to future bride

Beijing: A Chineses suitor has presented USD 1.5 million to his would-be in the eastern province of Zhejiang, where there is a tradition to offer engagement gifts. Around 18 porters transported the 8.88 million yuan (USD 1.5 million) cash in bamboo baskets to the future bride, which together weighed 102 kg, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported. Members of the man`s entourage showed up at the woman`s house in a fleet of luxury vehicles, led by a Maserati sports car, the report said, adding it has drawn ire on social media sites. Photos showed bamboo baskets stacked with bundles of 100 yuan notes, which are red and depict Mao Zedong, communist China`s founding father. "It`s not so much marrying a wife, but buying one. If they really loved each other, there would be no need for such extravagance," a person wrote on a social media site wrote.

"Marriage achieved by money, can it last?" another microblog writer wondered. The couple, who belong to rich families surnamed Huang, chose the amount of money because the word for eight is linked with the meaning wealth in China.