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Recently I went on a trip to China, a very scheduled, predictable, organised trip that completely fell apart once we got there as things were cancelled. It began with a tour travelling to Hong Kong to speak at the Asia-Pacific International Conference, a fantastic event that went off without a hitch. Travelling with me was a dedicated group of funeral directors from right here in New Zealand.
We had a packed itinerary lined up afterwards in mainland China, factory tours for our buying group, visits to a local funeral home or funeral homes, and a cemetery tour. But as we crossed into China we quickly learnt a lesson about government oversight. One by one our tightly scheduled factory tours were cancelled, then in a twist that felt straight out of a movie really, our funeral home visit was abruptly cancelled while we were travelling in our bus to the venue.
It turned out the required government approvals had vanished. Out of our entire mainland itinerary, only one destination in funerals survived the bureaucratic chopping block of visits to the local cemetery, and it turned out to be an absolute highlight of the trip. The cemetery was incredibly modern, only five years old.
It already managed a staggering 2,200 ash internments in the previous year alone. Standing near the sheer scale of modern Chinese death care really hits you. Ever since Mao’s communist reforms, traditional earth burial has been strictly prohibited across China.
Cremation now is mandatory. Because of this the landscape of grief looks entirely different. Most memorials are simple, uniform and incredibly elegant.
Of course there are exceptions. Highly influential public figures are permitted larger, grander memorials as seen in some of these photos. What I found most beautiful was the quiet resilience of culture.
Officially religion is restricted, yet you can still feel the deep, undeniable pause and pulse of the Buddhist tradition. It is right here in the design, especially in the peaceful reflection areas where water and stone create a space for quiet ancestral honour. As a New Zealander, the contrast was striking.
Back home we frequently arrange traditional earth burials for Chinese families because in their culture returning to earth remains a respectful, honouring event. Yet back in their Chinese homeland, a new tradition has been forced by the government. Seeing how China has adapted, was in fact privileged, the government policies may change the how, but they haven’t changed the why.
Even in a system where strict regulations and mandatory cremations, the people have deeply moving, beautiful and profoundly respectful way of honouring those who have died. It was a real privilege travelling to China to see how they do things now.
