Funeral Lion

The picture above depicts the traditional Chinese funeral rites that were practiced in the early twentieth century. Immense amounts of time and money were spent in order to orchestrate these extravagant death customs. Funerals usually took at least a week to complete. On each day during this process, friends and family of the deceased would visit a different temple and perform a unique set of ritual procedures to prepare the dead individual’s soul for a peaceful afterlife. The last day of these rites involved an enormous procession of musicians, paper sculptures, material possessions, and a various religious officials. The paper lion in the photo is an example of the intricate Chinese craftsmanship and extensive amount of labor exhibited in Chinese funerals. Individuals in the procession are also wearing the traditional funeral garb that was only worn during this specific event. The reason for the complexity of traditional funeral rituals is due in part to the importance of filial piety in Chinese society. The need to express deep respect for parents and ancestors largely contributed to the grandiose nature of burial rites because the more work and resources that were used in the funeral process, the more honor and reverence that was being placed on the deceased. Today, Chinese funerals incorporate a mixture of traditional and modern customs. While the modern practice of cremation is quickly becoming the norm in Chinese urban areas, traditional rituals for the dead still remain a fairly common scene in many communities throughout the country.

 

--Gene Eng

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