COLOMBO - A grand mass wedding ceremony with the participation of 50 Chinese couples took place in Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Sunday as part of the the government's agenda to promote Sri Lanka as an ideal wedding destination.

The ceremony which was held in the Colombo Municipal Council grounds was attended by Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Tourism John Amaratunga, Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Petroleum Arjuna Ranatunga and China's Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development, the Ministry of Tourism and the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka.

Western Megapolis Minister Champika Ranawaka, speaking at the ceremony, thanked the couples for choosing Sri Lanka as their wedding destination and said both nations have shared strong and historical ties since ancient times.

"Sri Lanka is very proud to be selected as the destination for these couples to celebrate the most important days of their lives," Ranawaka said.

He added that while this event would also promote Sri Lanka's beauty globally, Sri Lanka itself is undergoing further development with the construction of new hotels and other areas catering especially for tourists.