A Chinese country has banned holding birthday parties for people under 70 years of age, mentioning huge financial burden for the community. The authorities in Tongjiang county near Bazhong in Sichuan province introduced the regulations because it said the events were creating a huge financial burden for families paying for the meals and guests who have to give gifts.

According to the latest news,  The regulations also stipulate that people over 70 can only have a birthday banquet once every ten years. Many people have opposed the rules saying it was right to celebrate older people’s longevity and that limiting the number of parties was wrong.

However, Some have backed the move, arguing that residents in the country are not wealthy and the number of banquets held was excessive.

“(Residents should) refrain from holding extravagant events — including weddings, funerals, birthdays and many other kinds of parties — which many local people really despise and cannot afford,” Ms. Wang the head of the Tongjiang county foreign affairs office said. She also said that “small-scale birthday parties” for those in their 50s or 60s, with only three or five tables of family members or friends, would be no problem.

The regulation, posted online by the local government late last month, states that residents may only hold banquets on three types of occasions: weddings, funerals and birthdays for those 70 and older. For civil servants, only wedding and funeral banquets are allowed.

Birthday banquets for Tongjiang residents aged 70 and above may only take place once every 10 years i.e on 70th,80, 90 and 100.

All prospective banquet hosts must apply ahead of time and provide documentation  such as a marriage certificate or proof of age  before they can proceed with their party planning.

The website spoke to 19 families and 11 said they had attended at least 30 banquets over the past three years. People attending the events generally have to give gifts worth more than 1,000 yuan (HK$1,200).

The report said that, The local government has promised to revise the regulations because of the complaints it has received, but gave no details of what changes were planned.