(Photo/Eastday.com)

A man in Pingliang, northwestern China's Gansu province, proposed to his fiancee with stacks of cash hung around his neck on Feb. 2. Such practices have triggered public debate about the high price of betrothal gifts in northwest China.

China Youth Daily once reported that betrothal gifts can reach 100,000 RMB ($14,567) or seven times that figure in some villages in Gansu's Qingyang and Pingliang cities. In addition, the dowry has also risen dramatically during the past four decades.

Many brides' parents in the region wish to earn money through betrothal gifts in order to cover their future expenses after retirement, as the fertility rate has decreased with implementation of China's family planning policy. Comparing betrothal gifts elsewhere has also contributed to the rise in rural areas.

Although China’s marriage law explicitly stipulates that mercenary marriages and other acts of interference are prohibited, both courage and social action is needed to break the bad habit.