China widow, 23, vows not to remarry, triggers mixed reaction, loyalty discourse

A 23-year-old woman in China who vowed she would never remarry after the sudden death of her husband has triggered a heated discussion on mainland social media.

Wu Tiexin, 36, who lived in Shuangyashan in Heilongjiang province, in northeastern China, died of heart problems caused by diabetes on July 12, according to Jimu News.

“You married me and brought me home on November 5, 2023. I sent you away to decorate our home in the next life on July 13, 2025. Do not have any illness and be healthy in your afterlife,” Wu’s wife, surnamed Lu, wrote on social media in the wake of his death.

Wu was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 10.

He was hospitalised for suffering from an acute serious heatstroke in mid-June after high temperatures hit the northeastern regions of China, including his hometown.