A woman referred to as Xiao Yu in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, recently received a red envelope containing an IOU note from one of her five university roommates, zjol.com.cn, the official news website of Zhejiang province, reported.

Traditionally, a red envelope filled with money, is given as a wedding gift to relatives or friends.

The note said: "Best wishes for a happy marriage. Your elder sister is now working in Beijing and can't take part in your wedding. Though I am absent, a gift is a must. My darling! Please kindly accept it!"

In the last sentence, the woman wrote the amount of money the IOU is worth, 800 yuan ($130), which she described as "advance payment" that Xiao Yu can use for the note writer's wedding.

"Both my husband and I think it's a good gift," the bride-to-be said.

In an online survey, 40 percent of the respondents said the unique gift was very practical as the money could surely be sent back. More than 50 percent of the respondents said they would simply send back the IOU note to their friends as a wedding gift if they receive one.

The report did not give the total number of participants in the survey.

Only six netizens said they had received such a gift and 10 had given out one.