Fifty-six couples from 56 ethnic groups said ‘I do’ on Sunday at the Thousand Islets Lake, 160 kilometers west of Hangzhou, in celebration of the upcoming National Day holiday on October 1.

The 56 couples were selected from over 20 provinces across the country from mid July, according to Ye Yuhua, organizer of the grand wedding ceremony.

China is a united country of 56 ethnic groups with Han being the largest. According to the latest national census conducted in 2000, the population of all 55 ethnic minority groups totaled 104.49 million, accounting for 8.41 percent of the total population of China.

By Guo Changdong