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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

A Beautiful Hereafter

Chinese embrace eco-burials


BEIJING - Chinese traditionally believe that souls may rest in peace only if their bodies properly buried underground in coffins. But today, many are becoming open to other options, like scattering ashes in the sea or inlaying funeral urns in walls.

Ahead of this year's Tomb-Sweeping Day, a holiday that falls on April 4, a citizen surnamed Huang in East China's city of Nanjing went to a cemetery to commemorate her deceased father by burning paper in front of an osmanthus tree, the same tree under which his ashes were buried.

Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as the Qingming Festival, calls for surviving relatives to tend to the graves of their loved ones by leaving food and liquor at their burial sites, as well as by burning fake money as a form of offering.

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1 comment:

  1. Alex, I love your writing and love the blog. In fact, I made that very point about your blog in my own blog, listing yours as one of my favorites. Hope you're well! Keep writing and keep making us think!

    Kary

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