Traditional Death Customs in CHINA
"The leaves fall close to the roots" (落葉歸根) ：
Traditionally, it is important for Chinese to be buried in their home villages. The Chinese believed that if people are not buried in their home village, their spirits will wander in human world forever. Even Chinese who have lived or worked overseas also want to be buried with their ancestors in their home towns.
"Die an complete corpse" (死要全屍) :
Traditionally, it is important for Chinese to be buried in their Traditionally, the Chinese want to be properly buried after death. Being cremated is not something the Chinese like. Because the Chinese believe that if any part of a body is missing, they may not be able to enter the next world. Moreover, the Confucian belief teaches people that our body is originated from our parents, so that even after death, the bodies should be properly preserved.
Since ancient times, many people believed that the souls of the deceased will go to the next world, where the lifestyle is similar to that of this world. In the Zhou Dynasty (1122-221 A.D), people buried real persons or animals to accompany the deceased. Paper burial items appeared during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 B.C.), replacing the funereal artifacts used since the time of Qin and Han. Through burning the paper offerings, the offerings would reach their ancestors living in the other world.
Colour of mourning:
Traditionally, it is important for Chinese to be buried in their White is the traditional colour of mourning in China. Family members of the deceased usually wear white cloaks.
Back luck:
Traditionally, it is important for Chinese to be buried in their The Chinese believe that dying in someone else’s place would bring bad luck to those who live in that particular place. Also, people who handle the dead or working with funeral procedure are seen as the lowest class in the society, especially in southern China (e.g. Hong Kong) where people believe that making contacts with people working in the funeral industry will bring bad luck to themselves.
