Love in China: The Life and Death of Wedding Photos

The massive 60-billion-yuan wedding photos industry in China reveals the forces that bind Chinese marriages together: the pursuit of everlasting love and deep-rooted traditional values on marriage. But when a couple chooses to break those bonds and move on, despite the pressure to maintain appearances, even the most cherished photos must go.

Since 2023, Liu Wei has been helping heartbroken lovers move on by shredding their wedding photos and other mementos. We visited his workshop in Hebei province, North China to find out about the story behind these pieces. If wedding photos can be recycled, can lost love also be recycled?