In ancient China, the parents have absolute authority to decide the marriage for their children. The parents’ authority, the matchmakers’ arrangements and the betrothal gifts were the three basic elements of an arranged marriage in ancient China. The Chinese people believed that marriage to be sacred and ordained, therefore young people must obtain their parents’ approval of their marriage. So the prospective couples’ parents became the spokespeople for their marriage.

Marriage was no longer a unity of true love but a means of safeguarding and maximizing the interests of the clan or the family. According to the ancient Chinese social system, women were inferior to men. Therefore, the father made the final decision in his children’s marriage, although parental approval meant both the father’s and the mother’s consent. There are a lot of tragedies caused by such a kind of marriage in ancient China.