An 18-year-old girl has been forced to sleep outside with the family dog after her she turned down a blind date fixed up by her gran.

The girl – named as Ms Zhang in local media in Zhumadian, Henan Province, central China – told her traditional grandmother she was in no hurry to wed.

Now she’s being forced to bed down outside with the pet dog until she changes her mind.

Local media reports that Ms Zhang had been visiting her gran for Chinese New Year when she learned she had arranged a date for her.

In a video filmed by her sister, she can be seen lying on the ground on top of a small blanket, dressed in winter clothes and covered with a duvet.

She pulls the dog close in and pats it on the head as the two get ready to turn in for the night on the cold, hard ground.

In many parts of China – especially the rural areas – being pressured or forced into marriage is still an existing cultural norm.

Though young people are increasingly looking to marry for love, some members of older generations are still trying to impose traditional expectations on them.

They will often set up blind dates for them or introduce them to potential partners to get them settled down quickly.