by Wang Qibing and Chen Junxia

GENEVA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A wedding showcasing traditional Chinese customs, as a cultural performance for the Asian Wedding Festival, was held Wednesday in the hall of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva.

The groom Qi Lin and the bride Zhang Qiuruo, in Chinese red wedding dresses, were surrounded by cheers and applauses from hundreds of guests, diplomats stationed in Geneva from many countries and heads of some international organizations of the United Nations (UN).

After paying homage to the heaven and earth, to their parents and then each other, Qi and Zhang officially married in a traditional Chinese wedding. The ceremony also included the couple serving tea to their parents, the groom serving noddles to the bride and handing out the wedding candies to guests and other Chinese marriage customs.

"It is such an exciting event," said Carinne Follmi, wife of former Geneva Governor Dominique Follmi, receiving the wedding candy from the bride.

The Asian Wedding Festival, following the Asian Style Festival and Asian Harvest Festival, is the third event of the Asian Cultural Festival, co-founded and organized by the Association of Wives of Asian Ambassadors in Geneva and the WIPO.

As one of the main coordinators of the cultural festival, Li Wenci, wife of Ambassador Chen Xu, Permanent Representative of China to the UN Office at Geneva, told Xinhua that such event helps promote multiculturalism, strengthen mutual exchanges and enhance communication and understanding between Asia and the international community.

"Asia is a region rich in marriage customs. Marriage is a very important custom for Asians. The World Intellectual Property Organization is honored to host this event," said Daren Tang, director-general of the WIPO.

Delegations of missions from Armenia, Bangladesh, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc. wore traditional costumes and artifacts, showcasing their unique wedding customs and cultural traditions.