The two will leave for their hometown this evening by train, the same report said.

Pu Cunxin, a famed Chinese actor also the first AIDS ambassador in China, didn't host the ceremony as local media reports had suggested.

The couple had planned to hold a wedding ceremony at the foot of the Great Wall on Sunday, but canceled the plan due to unexpected media attention from across the country.

The media violated the couple's peaceful private life, said organizers of the fourth Media Education of Venereal Diseases and AIDS Forum yesterday afternoon at a press conference.

The couple didn't show up at the conference as planned. They had wanted to change attitudes among Chinese people to HIV/AIDS patients by their public appearance.

The couple are using false names, Xiao Qing and Xiao Ming, to protect their privacy and identity.

The bride, Xiao Qing, 28, contracted the HIV virus through drug abuse. The bridegroom, Xiao Ping, 23, also became addicted after he took drugs to help Xiao Ping to quit. He failed to help Xiao Qing and he failed to quit himself.

Their marriage has roused controversy across the country.

Doctors are confident in the marriage bond, saying they would set a living example for China's doctors to study AIDS between the couples. They are also confident that Xiao Qing is quite likely to deliver a healthy baby with advanced medical help.

(eastday.com November 30, 2002)