Chinese Coffins

Chinese are known to be traditional; they have the uttermost respect for their ancestors and they follow their rules and beliefs. Chinese funeral servicesare taken very seriously and they have a specific protocol that must be followed. Chinese coffins usually have a rectangle shape and they have three cushions to hold up the neck, legs, and back of the departed.In ancient times in Southern China, it was common to see the Xuanguancoffins, which were coffins that were hung from cliffs or mountains.Today they are known as “hanging coffins”.

Coffins for Traditional Chinese Burial

Chinese tradition follows different rituals in different situations. Unlike western culture, the Chinese people do not perform the same burial for everybody.The age and social status of the deceased determines the type of burial ritual performed. Regardless of the service, the coffin remains the same: rectangular shape with three cushions. In Chinese culture, it is rare to have the body cremated. Chinese hold a viewing for the body and mournover their loss for at least three days.A unique fact about Chinese funerals is that they never bury their dead an even number of days out from the death.Starting with day one,(the day that the person passed away) the body must go to ground usually three or five days after passing.

Saying Last Rites and Goodbyes

Chinese burial rituals depend on various factors such as the age of the deceased, social status, marital status, and the way that they passed away. In their culture, an older person does not owe any respect to a younger person. That’s reflected during their burial rituals. When a newborn or child dies they do not have a funeral, they are just buried in silence. They are still buried in a rectangular coffin but no visitation is made. Chinese only perform last rites and goodbyes to people who they owe respect to. For example, a large funeral would be for an elder person who has children and grandchildren. If the deceased was wealthy, the viewing might last up to 7 days in which they usually use have a closed coffin service because the body will bloat.

Specially Catered Funerals for Strong Cultured Chinese

Sometimes it becomes difficult for Chinese people to carry out their customs and traditions in other countries. Many of them have immigrated to the United States. Being that Western culture is a lot different fromthat of the Chinese, at times it might not be easy for them to carry out their rituals. However, there are more and more people willing to provide services that will stick to Chinese culture. There are funeral homes that have contact with Buddhist monks who are available to participate in the burial ritual. For Buddhist Chinese folks, it is important to have a monk chant for them for 8 hours after they have passed away. They also clothe the deceased with a white sheet and clothes aren’t cut in the back: it brings bad luck.