Wedding invitation just the ticket ...
By Wang Xiang |
August 12, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
OLYMPIC figure skating champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo are holding a wedding celebration in grand style next month and you can be there too - if you buy a ticket.
The couple, who married in 2007, are charging 100 to 1,080 yuan (US$15-159) to attend the September 4 event in Beijing's Capital Stadium.
But the plan has sparked heated debate online with many people accusing them of greed.
"What else can't they sell if they can share their most important day in life with strangers just for money?" one online commentator asked.
Zhao said he could understand the criticism but denied the ceremony was being held for financial reasons.
"Chinese sports stars rarely operate such commercial activity and we are the first to do so," he told yesterday's Beijing Morning Post.
"The ticket fees will be used to invite all walks of stars to perform at the wedding."
Zhao promised that 10 percent of ticket fees would go to charity.
Top figure skaters, including Russians Evgeni Plushenko and Alexei Yagudin, Japan's Mao Asada and America's Johnny Weir will be invited to perform at the ceremony. Chinese singer Zhang Liangying and famous violinist Lu Siqing are also on the guest list.
"These skaters were all old rivals and friends of ours, we were so gracious that they can come," Zhao told the newspaper.
But critics said they should not expect such a luxurious wedding if they could not afford one.
Zhao told the newspaper he wanted the ceremony to help promote figure skating as a sport in China. The couple are now retired from competition.
Being the main organizer of the event, Zhao said he was near to exhaustion with all kinds of chores but he could not quit because having a wedding celebration had long been the dream he promised his wife.
"It is very tough job, but it will be worth it," said Zhao.
The couple, who married in 2007, are charging 100 to 1,080 yuan (US$15-159) to attend the September 4 event in Beijing's Capital Stadium.
But the plan has sparked heated debate online with many people accusing them of greed.
"What else can't they sell if they can share their most important day in life with strangers just for money?" one online commentator asked.
Zhao said he could understand the criticism but denied the ceremony was being held for financial reasons.
"Chinese sports stars rarely operate such commercial activity and we are the first to do so," he told yesterday's Beijing Morning Post.
"The ticket fees will be used to invite all walks of stars to perform at the wedding."
Zhao promised that 10 percent of ticket fees would go to charity.
Top figure skaters, including Russians Evgeni Plushenko and Alexei Yagudin, Japan's Mao Asada and America's Johnny Weir will be invited to perform at the ceremony. Chinese singer Zhang Liangying and famous violinist Lu Siqing are also on the guest list.
"These skaters were all old rivals and friends of ours, we were so gracious that they can come," Zhao told the newspaper.
But critics said they should not expect such a luxurious wedding if they could not afford one.
Zhao told the newspaper he wanted the ceremony to help promote figure skating as a sport in China. The couple are now retired from competition.
Being the main organizer of the event, Zhao said he was near to exhaustion with all kinds of chores but he could not quit because having a wedding celebration had long been the dream he promised his wife.
"It is very tough job, but it will be worth it," said Zhao.
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