A cancelled wedding in China has gone viral after a woman reportedly demanded 30,000 yuan (approximately RM70,000) from her ex-fiancé as a “hugging fee” following their broken engagement.
The woman initially agreed to return the 200,000 yuan (RM466,800) worth of engagement gifts she had received. However, her ex-fiancé was stunned when she later insisted on deducting 30,000 yuan (RM70,000) from the amount, claiming it was compensation for the “cost of hugging” during their pre-wedding photoshoot.
The unusual demand quickly sparked heated discussion among Chinese netizens.
The story, first reported by Henan TV, has since gone viral with over 23 million views across social media platforms in China.
The couple, from Pingdingshan, Henan province, got engaged in January 2025 and were scheduled to marry in November 2025. Preparations for the big day — including hotel bookings and pre-wedding photoshoots — had already been completed.
However, two months before the wedding, the woman called it off, reportedly saying that her fiancé was “too honest” and had a low income.
While she agreed to return the dowry money, she remained adamant about keeping 30,000 yuan (RM70,000) as a “hugging fee.”
According to the couple’s matchmaker, the hugging occurred under the photographer’s direction during the pre-wedding shoot, and the woman’s compensation demand was described as “immoral.”
After negotiations, the woman eventually returned 170,500 yuan (RM397,977) to her ex-fiancé — an amount that included the disputed “hugging fee.”
Cases like this often make headlines in China, especially when women refuse to return dowries after cancelling their engagements.
