Sawt Falasteen - Hong Kong seniors celebrate life with mass marriage vow renewal

Dressed to impress, the brides and grooms -- mostly in their 70s -- were in high spirits as they took part in the 17th Elderly Wedding event, organised by a local NGO to highlight the importance of love to mental well-being among older adults.

Wendy Wong, the vibrant 72-year-old who had delighted the room with her confectionary-based antics, sat by her husband, her arm through his.

"What is love? I don't think I can live without him," Wong told AFP.

"I didn't have a western-style wedding, so this is very special for us," she said, her diamante-encrusted white satin gown catching the light from the hall's chandeliers.

The full three-day event has returned after a five-year hiatus caused first by the huge, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests that engulfed Hong Kong in 2019, and then the coronavirus.

The pandemic left its mark in other ways too.

"In previous years, we had participants even in their 90s, but... many older individuals lost their lives to Covid-19," said volunteer team leader Chan Hiu-ching.

"That's why the demographics skew younger this year."

Wong and her husband Lun Yuk-lam, the oldest participant at 77, have had their own brush with mortality.

Lun survived cancer 10 years ago, and still has to take medication to keep it at bay.

"It was a critical moment in life, but I will always by his side and hope for his good health," Wong said.

The uncertainty of the pandemic had made the couple eager to "create more memories" together, she added -- and the Elderly Wedding seemed like the perfect way to mark their 50th wedding anniversary.

- Connection -

Chan Siu-kam, the chairman of the organising NGO, came up with the idea around 20 years ago.

While visiting a care home, she noticed a beautiful gown one of the residents was using for a photoshoot, and saw the desire to dress up for a special occasion did not necessarily fade with age.

"This is a way for the elderly to connect with others," Chan explained.

"Their needs extend beyond financial or physical support -- their mental health is often overlooked by society."

Many of the participants had reached out themselves, she said, with some of the more tech-savvy ones coming across the event on Facebook.

After the banquet, the couples piled into two brightly coloured Hong Kong trams and set off along the tracks, waving to passers-by who stopped to watch delightedly.

"Please congratulate them! They just got married today!" volunteers shouted from the top of the tram.

As Hong Kong's population ages, keeping the elderly connected with wider society is increasingly important, Chan Hiu-ching said.

"I believe what Hong Kong really needs right now is positive energy," volunteer Ivy Lau told AFP.

"After the pandemic and the economic downturn, we need more positivity and happiness."

P.Tamimi--SF-PST