On the 11th, along the over 10-kilometer route from Hejiang Pavilion to the north gate of Sichuan Normal University, there was a stylish wedding procession: the bride and groom rode bicycles, escorted by 50 cycling friends, as they pedaled through the most romantic journey of their lives.
At a little past 7 a.m. on the 11th, 50 cyclists gathered on their bikes at Hejiang Pavilion. Each bicycle was adorned with heart-shaped balloons, and every rider wore a vest printed with the words “Forgetful & Fish.” “Forgetful” is the groom, Ma Lin, 29 years old. “Fish” is the bride, Tian Qinxin, 26 years old. To make cycling easier, the bride chose a short wedding dress and platform shoes.
At 9:30 a.m., led by the bride and groom, everyone mounted their bikes and set off in a grand procession from Hejiang Pavilion.
The route went from Dongmen Bridge to Niushikou, then to Longzhou Road, and finally to a restaurant near the north gate of Sichuan Normal University. Over the course of the 10-plus-kilometer journey, this “wedding caravan” of more than 50 people caught the attention of many passersby. By 10:30 a.m., they had arrived at their destination. Tian Qinxin said that from the very beginning of wedding planning, they had all agreed to replace the traditional wedding car with bicycles.
The reason they held a bicycle wedding was because their matchmaker was a bicycle. Tian Qinxin had always dreamed of cycling the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. To realize her dream, she joined a leisure cycling group. In July 2009, during her first cycling event, she got lost and only found the meeting point half an hour after the scheduled time. Unexpectedly, Ma Lin was waiting for her at the location. Since then, they started riding together. Over the next two years, they cycled to more than 50 places.