#trending: Ex-girlfriends gatecrash man's wedding in China with banner saying they will 'destroy' him

YUNNAN, CHINA — They say the past always catches up with you. For one groom in China, this adage spoke volumes for him on his wedding day. 

The man, named Chen Song, had just tied the knot with his bride when nine women showed up holding a big red banner that read, "We are Chen Song's ex-girlfriend team, today we will destroy you".

The viral video capturing this scene emerged early this month. News outlets in China reported that the wedding took place on Feb 6.

Although one wedding attendee told regional broadcast subsidiary Baixing Guanzhu that it was a prank, the incident was later revealed to be exactly as it seemed.

Speaking to news platform Feidian Video, the groom admitted that the women in the video were indeed his ex-girlfriends.

He claimed that his ex-girlfriends had "called many girls over" to join them in order to create a scene.

Mr Chen did not confirm how many of those present were his ex-girlfriends, but confessed that in his younger years, he had been "ignorant and wronged way too many people".

Upon seeing the spectacle, his wife "immediately became hostile", he said.

"Right now, her family will not let it go and is demanding an explanation," he added. "As for my wife, she was angry for a whole day.

"I am now trying to figure out how to fix this situation."

Reflecting on his past misdeeds, Mr Chen advised: "Everyone, you can't be like me in future. It's better to be loyal to one girlfriend, don't be like me and be involved (with many girlfriends).

"If it comes to a point when others want to intentionally play a prank on you, it will be very hard for you to hold your head up."

Since footage emerged of the gatecrashing incident, the hashtag #前女友团拉搞废新郎横幅系玩笑# or "Ex-girlfriend team pulls banner prank on groom" was viewed 59.5 million times.

Mr Chen's response, under the hashtag #新郎回应结婚当天前女友组团拉横幅# or "Groom responds to ex-girlfriend teaming up to hold banner on wedding day", received 170 million views.

The incident sparked a heated debate among online users about the truth of the matter.

Though Mr Chen had confirmed the presence of his ex-girlfriends in the video, it was unclear whether or not the women intended it as a prank, as both sides had reportedly alleged.

Many viewers felt that since the women banded together to humiliate Mr Chen at his wedding, this was evidence enough that he had treated them terribly in the past and deserved the "retribution".

However, others saw the video as "obviously fake".

One critic pointed out: "The ex-girlfriends were all laughing."

This then brought up the point that if it was truly a prank on the women's part, then there may be an even greater cause for concern for the bride.

One Weibo user said: "Being able to crack such jokes... the relationship between the two parties must be particularly good. This means that the groom still maintains a very friendly relationship with his ex-girlfriends."

Implying that it would be uncomfortable for Mr Chen's bride to know he is on friendly terms with his former girlfriends if that were the case, the Weibo user continued: "From the bride's point of view, it is better if this was the ex-girlfriend team's revenge, rather than the ex-girlfriend team's 'joke'."

Still, most online users agreed that neither scenario bode well for the bride.

A majority of them felt sorry for the bride and encouraged her to call off the marriage, saying that "it is not too late".

Others joked that instead of being upset, she should have thanked the "ex-girlfriend team" for "opening her eyes" and "helping (her) escape the fire pit".