Farewell from a foreign family at a traditional Chinese funeral

By Nadine Hudson (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-29 10:30

The funeral party never left the body of the dead man. There was plenty of time for tears. In the morning the coffin was closed and tied up with the off-white cloth ribbons worn previously by the family. The rain stopped. Half-a-dozen strong men lifted up the coffin and carried it slowly down the street toward the mountain.

In front of the procession two youngsters walked. They held fireworks and let them off every few meters leaving a trail of red paper in their way. The musicians walked at the back of the procession. The lion dancers gave a final performance.

The many hours without sleep, the weeping, the noise, smoke and alcohol drunk at the funeral had exhausted the dead man's family. They were at the end of their strength. They bowed in front of the coffin for the last time and broke down.

A small girl, carried on the back of her mother waved to us. A wire construction was put on the coffin, crowned by a colorful paper bird, that would fly away with the spirit of the dead and become part of the circle of life.

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