When the two families agree to the marriage, the man's family is supposed to send some betrothal gifts to the woman's family. The gifts mainly include clothes, jewelry, gold, silver and money etc. In former times, a gilded silver coin bearing the word "qiu" (meaning "proposal") was among the gifts, indicating the man's proposal. The woman's family would send back another coin bearing the word "yun" (meaning "agreed"), indicating their consent to the proposal.

Dowry is the property a woman brings with her to her husband's home. In the past, dowry was mostly clothes, quilts, bath basins, foot basins, washbasins (washstands), cabinets, tables, chairs, tea sets and tableware etc. In some cases, rich families would include fields, mountains and forests in the dowry to show their wealth. With the foundation of new China and the opening-up and reform, dowry has become increasingly diverse and modern.