99 Malaysian couples tie the knot on auspicious day

KUALA LUMPUR - Ninety-nine couples tied the knot in a mass wedding ceremony at a Chinese temple in Malaysia on Monday, the ninth day of the ninth month that is considered an auspicious date by ethnic Chinese.

The ceremony at the Thean Hou temple in Kuala Lumpur is an annual event for couples seeking a Buddhist wedding. The number nine in Chinese sounds like the word for "long lasting".

Most of the couples donned black suits and white bridal dresses, but a few opted to wear red, a colour that symbolizes luck, joy and happiness in Chinese culture. Red is also a traditional colour worn by Chinese brides.

Holding bouquets of flowers, the couples were blessed by a priest in a red robe before taking their vows. The ceremony ended with a group photograph.

Ethnic Chinese account for about 23 per cent of the Southeast Asian nation's population of 32 million people. Roughly a fifth of the population practises Buddhism.