A newlywed couple share an intimate dance at their wedding on Aug 8 in Yarkant county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in front of family, friends and more than 300 strangers coming from across the country. CHINA DAILY

　　Earlier this month, a Uygur wedding in Yarkant county of Kashgar prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, became an unexpected nationwide celebration. More than 300 strangers traveled from across the country to share in the joy and blessings of the occasion. The scene that followed, brimming with music and dance, cheer and laughter, was later captured in online posts and videos that spread the festive vibes even farther and wider.

　　The story began when the groom's mother Zoram Seyit posted a digital invitation on the short-video sharing platform Douyin on Aug 3, expecting only family and friends to respond. But when a curious user from Central China's Henan province asked if they could attend and the host family replied with a simple "yes", the post went viral overnight.

　　On Aug 8, the wedding day, the banquet hall was filled with guests from diverse regions and ethnic backgrounds, all gathered for the same celebration. Men and women, many in their finest attire, sang and danced throughout the day.

　　Groom Akramjan Omar said his online guests joined in every part of the celebration, from the midday procession to escort the bride to the wedding hall and the main ceremony in the afternoon, to the after-party that stretched past 9 pm.

　　He had been unaware of his mother's post until the next morning, when he woke up to find it had already racked up over 10,000 likes. For a family that has run a Xinjiang cuisine restaurant in Henan for nearly three decades, more guests meant more joy.