Vietnam bride's lavish dowry includes 100 civet cats, gold, property and shares

New Straits Times

4 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: A 22-year-old woman in Vietnam has turned heads online after receiving a dowry worth millions, including 100 civet cats, gold, cash, property and shares from her family.
South China Morning Post reported that the young bride, whose identity has not been disclosed, hails from the southwestern region of Vietnam and tied the knot last May.
Her dowry, which has sparked widespread discussion across social media platforms, was reportedly valued at around 1.8 billion Vietnamese dong (approximately RM330,000) for the civet cats alone.
The unusual wedding gift included female civet cats with breeding potential, along with 25 taels of gold, 500 million dong (about RM91,000) in cash, shares worth 300 million dong (RM55,000), seven properties and other high-value assets.
In return, the groom's family presented a bride price comprising 10 taels of gold, 200 million dong (around RM36,000) in cash, and diamond jewellery.
The bride's father, Hong Chi Tam, said his daughter, a business graduate, was fully capable of managing her assets and achieving financial independence.
"Whether she decides to breed the civet cats or sell them, I will support her. The important thing is she has control over her future," he was quoted as saying.
Tam said all his children have assumed roles in the family business after completing university, and this dowry was meant to serve as a stepping stone for his daughter's continued financial growth.
In Vietnam, civet cats are considered a lucrative asset, especially for their role in the production of Kopi Luwak, one of the world's most expensive coffees.
The coffee beans are collected from the faeces of civets that consume ripe coffee cherries, producing a distinctive flavour profile after undergoing the animal's digestive process.
Apart from coffee, civet meat is regarded as a delicacy in parts of China and Vietnam and is sometimes used in traditional medicine.
A breeding female civet can fetch around 18 million dong (approximately RM3,300), while a pregnant one may be worth as much as 27 million dong (RM5,000).
Despite their high market value, the civet trade has come under scrutiny.
Animal welfare organisation World Animal Protection International has raised concerns about the inhumane treatment of civets, highlighting the use of traps to capture them from the wild and the poor living conditions they endure on farms.
The story, initially reported by Taiwan's ETtoday, has drawn mixed reactions online.
Some lauded the dowry as a progressive move to empower the bride with assets and income-generating potential.
"This is how you raise a daughter – by giving her the tools to succeed," one user commented.
Others, however, questioned the ethics behind using wildlife as part of business dealings or marital arrangements.
"Behind the glamour lies animal exploitation. We need to reflect on whether this is a practice worth celebrating," another wrote.