Tujia Minority is very carefully at the namesake marriage, the intermarry is only limited to the namesake but different forefather or one or exceeding the five generations, if not, it will be regarded as treason and heinous crime in ancient China. In fact, until now, even if conforming to Tujia namesake marriage rule, but the most Tujia people do not identify with it.
Tujia marriage is relatively free in its history, the boy can be married with the girl through free love after agreeing by the parents of both parties. In Shiyao and Dashanding of Enshi City, there is a custom of “Girls' Festival”, i.e. on July 12 in every traditional Chinese yerar, young men and women can be married in free love through “Girls' Festival”. After bureaucratization of native officers, Tujia Minority has to execute the arranged (forced) marriage of “parent’s order and matchmaker’s words”, it was recorded in “Hefeng County Annals” in Qianlong Period of Qing Dynasty: “the husband is selected by the grandparent and the parent, need not to ask the woman’s desire. If the women cheekily says the unwillingness, once determining, no change should be for life.”