Funeral Rites

[wiz_oz]

Can anyone over in China give any info on funeral rites there.

[yorkie_bear]

I'm not quite sure what you're after, but when my grandparents died, the whole family got together for a few days in China. We dressed in black. In one room there was a picture of the deceased with incense sticks and as soon as we arrived, had to kowtow. Bizarrely all the females was given a little hair clip with a blue woolen flower to wear in their hair. I don't know why.

Some kind of temple rite was arranged. We went to a Buddhist temple and the monks chanted for about 2 hours. We had to stand or kowtow or follow them around the temple accordingly.

At the funeral parlour they have an open coffin. For my grandmother, my aunt told us all the grandchildren had to strewn flowers around her body...so we did...

Friends and relatives sent massive wreaths of flowers. When they came to the funeral, they would great the immediate family in a long line. Condolences given. A lot of tears. Quite a lot of tears actually.

The bodies were cremated.

I am not sure that this is what typically happens in funerals in China though

[wiz_oz]

Thanks.

Seems like it is basically Buddhist rites.

Do the Chinese practice Taoist rites as well? Buddhist rites are much simpler than Taoist rites which are much more elaborate. In cases, additional rites are performed on the 21st day as well.

And further, it seems that the various dialect groups have slightly different variations as well.