A promise on paper, phoenix coronet, deafening sound of gongs and drums, and a sedan chair carried by eight people, a traditional Chinese wedding unfolded in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, in Qingpu District on Sunday, marking the start of the town's serial "water bridge wedding" folk custom experience activities.

With the bridegroom and bride, hand in hand, boarding onto a traditional sculling boat, a number of traditional Chinese wedding rituals were performed, showing a grand and resplendent wedding and revealing the everlasting charm of traditional Chinese culture to people in a journey through time.

Wearing exquisite Chinese costumes, the couple performed rites such as Hejin (drinking cross-cupped wine) and Jiefa (knotting the hair up) amid applause and wishes.

The wedding dress was designed by bride Feng Jing, a national-level senior craft artist.

"The wedding fulfilled my 20-year dream," said Feng.

Feng and her husband held a western-style grassland wedding, but the dream of a traditional Chinese wedding never faded, said Feng.

"The red robe features exquisite and auspicious embroidery patterns like phoenix and propitious clouds, and involved traditional intangible cultural heritage techniques such as silk embroidery and kesi, a Chinese silk tapestry known as "carved silk."

It took more than a year to complete the embroidery work.

"It's more than a wedding. It's a showcase of traditional Chinese wedding culture and the splendid Chinese intangible cultural heritage," said Feng.

A Chinese wedding traditional craft and intangible cultural heritage exhibition kicked off at the same time at Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao, with exhibits such as red veils, silver gilded gold flower silk jewellery, featuring diancui craftsmanship using kingfisher feathers to decorate hair accessories, and embroidery wedding robes on display. It will run through May 25.