Rules change to root out cheaters at Pingtung’s annual mass wedding

Rules change to root out cheaters at Pingtung’s annual mass wedding

2024-09-06

In Pingtung, every October dozens of couples say “I do” all together, in a mass wedding organized by the county government. With big incentives dangled for participants, it’s an extremely popular event year after year. But this year, the rules are changing a little. Officials noticed that some people were trying to game the system by applying every year, but not getting married in the meantime. There are other ways of gaming the system too. They’ve implemented some new rules and measures in 2024, to make sure that everyone who ties the knot does so in good faith.

Many people dream of their wedding as the happiest day of their life. Every October, Pingtung County government holds a mass wedding, attended by the county commissioner as a witness to the couples’ vows.

Chou Chun-mi
Pingtung County commissioner
This year on October 20 we have the “Love You Just the Same” mass wedding. Aside from our gift voucher of NT$10,000, we’re also offering round-trip honeymoon flights to Tokyo and Seoul.

Any couple is eligible so long one of them is a registered resident of Pingtung. Participants get a free dress and makeover, as well as a gift voucher of NT$10,000, and a chance in a draw for flight tickets and home appliances. The event accepts 50 couples a year, and it’s normally fully signed up within seconds. But the county has noticed that some people are trying to game the system by applying for the event each year, and despite not getting a spot, they don’t get married in the meantime.

Chien Mao-feng
Religious ceremonies manager
We haven’t really checked such behavior. There are rumors of that.

With so many applications, the county government is slightly overwhelmed. This year the number of spots has been reduced to 30, with staff assigned to check applications and make sure none of them are repeats. There’s also a new rule: only couples who register their marriage between June 1 and October 20 are eligible. If that’s not done before the big day, someone will register you on the spot.

Chien Mao-feng
Religious ceremonies manager
You can register in almost all the six big cities. So we’ve brought this condition in this year. If you haven’t registered yet, you can still apply for our mass wedding. We will ask Pingtung Civil Affairs Department to help all the couples complete their registration at the event on the day.

Member of public
Of course a lot of people would want to join an event like that. So accordingly the organizers should establish some rules and regulations.

Member of public
I think marriage is a personal affair. It’s something to arrange for yourself. I wouldn’t really want to do it in a public event like that.

And it’s not just that people apply again and again. There are also couples who take part in multiple mass weddings in different parts of Taiwan, sometimes having several weddings in one year. Pingtung wants to improve its communication with other counties and local governments to root out this kind of opportunistic wedding fever.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

年年都來領贈品! 屏東縣府集團婚禮 "新人刻意不登記"鑽漏洞

2024-09-06

婚姻是每個人一輩子的大事，但在屏東，卻發現縣府每年舉辦一次的集團婚禮，竟然有"新人"可以每年都來參加，領取高額贈品，變成每年都在結婚的奇特景象，為了杜絕這樣老面孔不斷再結婚的狀況，今年強制規定，最晚在婚禮當天一定要登記，才能領取禮品。

婚禮的動人場景，是不少人一生一次的夢想，屏東縣政府每年十月都會舉辦集團婚禮，縣長更會親自到場，見證有情人終成眷屬。

[[屏東縣長周春米]]
“今(2024)年在10月20號，依然愛你的集團婚禮，除了我們的提貨券一萬塊之外，還有加碼東京、首爾的來回蜜月機票”

只要新人有一人設籍在屏東，不但提供免費婚紗造型、送一萬元提貨券，還有機會抽機票跟家電，每年開放50組報名，常常開放第一天就秒殺，但縣府卻發現，有人為了拿禮品，鑽漏洞，刻意不去做結婚登記，年年都來報名結婚。

[[屏東縣府民政處宗教禮俗科長簡茂峰]]
“我們是沒有很針對這個部分，去做一個比對，是有這樣的說法”

婚禮可以這樣一結再結，主辦的民政處也很頭大，今年減少只開放30對，派出職員加班比對，確認沒有人重複報名，也新設規定，一定要在6月1日到10月20日登記的新人才算數，沒登記的，當天專人幫你做登記。

[[屏東縣府民政處宗教禮俗科長簡茂峰]]
“六都的部分幾乎大都有結婚登記，所以我們今年把這個條件納進來，即使還沒有登記，他也可以來報名我們的集團結婚，我們也會商請，屏東的戶政事務所到現場，來幫我們新人完成結婚登記”

[[其他民眾]]
“這樣子的活動一定會有很多人參加，相對的活動方就應該要，設立相關的規定以及規則”

[[其他民眾]]
“我覺得結婚是我們自己的事情，我們自己處理就好，就比較不會想要公眾的這種活動”

而且不只每年都結婚，還有人是全台各地參加集團婚禮，一年結婚好幾次，屏東縣府也要加強與其他縣市政府的橫向溝通，就盼杜絕這類婚禮蟑螂。

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