DECAYING WEDDING CANDY SALES A SIGN OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Matrimonial tradition fades in face of healthier, sugar-free lifestyles, declining nuptials

Candy shop owners on Nanchang's Zigu Road are more worried than the parents of young couples about the growing number of young people being in no hurry to get married.

"We sell candies for all kinds of celebrations, but mainly for weddings," said Liu Xiaojun, one of the candy shop owners. "This year's May Day holiday brought almost no business for us. It's been a tough year."

Zigu Road is an old street in Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province, named after the famous Song Dynasty (960-1279) writer Zeng Gong, whose courtesy name was Zigu.