I often withdraw cash and move it to HK. Mainland banks have become very strict about cash withdrawals.

Every time the bank teller asks me what the cash is for,

at first I said it was for spending. They asked what I was spending on, I said buying a car. They said I could use a card.

I said it's fine, just keeping it at home. They said keeping cash at home is unsafe. No matter what I said, it wasn't acceptable.

Later, I found out I could say it's for a dowry. Every time the teller asks me what the cash is for now, I just say two words: dowry.

Then the teller won't ask a second question and even looks at me with a sympathetic expression.

A dowry of 300,000 yuan, and it's usually required in cash—this is completely reasonable in China.