Lei has been fond of dancing since she was a little girl. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As a child, Lei Lingli loved to attend weddings because she enjoyed the convivial and joyful atmosphere with delicious food, music and dance. What impressed her the most was the custom of the bride crying, which is a tradition of the She ethnic group that Lei belongs to.

A bride usually cries for three days and nights even before the wedding ceremony starts. It's a way to express her reluctance to leave her family. A bride also sings songs to express her gratitude to the parents, thanking them for bringing her to the world and for their love and care.

"When I was a child, I was very confused about the crying brides. The wedding days are supposed to be happy. Why all the tears? Then I learned about the custom, which made me realize the uniqueness of our She people," says Lei, who was born and raised in a small village of Xiabaishi town, located at the coastal city of Ningde, Fujian province.