A young woman yielded to pressure from her parents to replace her elder sister as a bride after the sister ran off with her former boyfriend two days before the wedding.

A Southern Metropolitan News report said Luo Mei, 22, the runaway bride, fell in love with Jiang Dayong, a member of a wealthy family in the same township in Huadu District in Guangzhou three months ago.

They went to register the marriage Dec. 5 and agreed to hold a wedding ceremony Dec. 13.

On Dec. 11, Luo Mei received a phone call from her ex-boyfriend, Fang Qiang, who had left town some months earlier, the News report said.

Hours later, Luo Mei called to Luo Li, her younger sister, saying she would not be present at the wedding ceremony because Fang had begged her to go back to him. Luo's family had lost contact with Luo Mei since, the report said.

Afraid of losing face, the two families persuaded Luo Li, 19, to replace her sister although she had met Jiang only twice. Jiang accepted the arrangement, the report said.

Luo Mei went to Jiang's family Dec. 15 to return the gifts Jiang had given her and said she would divorce Jiang before the end of the year to marry Fang. Luo Li said she would register for marriage with Jiang if he treated her well.

Jiang's mother said she had spent more than 100,000 yuan (US$12,100) on her son's marriage and had not expected the incident. She said she would prefer Luo Li to her elder sister as a daughter-in-law and believed Luo Li could foster love with her son after marriage.

(Shenzhen Daily December 18, 2003)