FREE ESSAY ON CHINESE ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH

CHINESE ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH

Throughout the history of mankind, "death" has always been a fascination. People have
always wondered about the causes of death, the aftermath of death, and whether it could
be stopped. Among these people were the Chinese, who like many other people, believed
there was life after death. They performed certain rituals " to help them along their
way." Chinese attitudes toward death are reflected in funerary rituals, Buddhist
philosophy and reverence for the deceased.
Death is a very important issue to the Chinese people. The son of a family has the
obligation to give his parents a proper funeral. "This includes such essential elements
as; a large coffin, a funeral procession, a well-chosen gravesite, gifts and offerings to
the soul of the deceased, a period of mourning, and keeping an ancestral shrine. If a
Chinese son fails to follow these obligations, he has committed a serious offense against
society."1 
The Chinese believed in giving a proper funeral to their elders because when the elders
were alive, they had shared their experiences and knowledge with the young. The Chinese
followed the requirements to a proper funeral because they believed in remembering the
dead, who were once close to them. They wanted to remember the dead by praying to them
daily and making them offerings. The Chinese believed that there were certain rituals
that were necessary for certain events. For example, during a wedding, the Chinese
believed that the couple must bow to the parents and offer them tea. Only then, can the
couple be happily married. Because the Chinese believe in performing certain rituals for
certain events, anyone who doesn't give his parents a proper funeral would have mocked
traditional beliefs. This son would be considered as a pariah in his village and looked
upon as "dirty" by his neighbors. 
To the Chinese, being buried in a coffin was very important. Chinese people wanted to
bury the dead in coffins to preserve their bodies, protect them from decaying as fast.
Although the soul of the person was to move on, the Chinese wanted to save the body as a
way to remember the elderly. To some people being buried in a coffin is so important that
they rather spend their money on a coffin than on necessary provisions. Although burial
in a coffin is preferred, cremations also take place. A cremation is when a corpse is
placed on a pyre and burned to ashes. 
In the cities of present day China, because of the great overpopulation and lack of
usable land, the government has made cremation a necessity. Cremation is also encouraged
in rural areas in efforts of saving arable land for farming. Since the people living in
the rural areas are farmers who can provide their own necessities and are independent of
the government, they are more concerned with their traditional beliefs and practices than
the concerns of the government. In the villages, peasants begin saving to buy coffins for
themselves after they pass the age of sixty; which was considered the number of years a
life cycle should be.2 People have claimed that if a person died before turning sixty
years old, he/she was a "short-life devil." Because of this belief, the people that died
before turning the age of sixty years old were not buried and left wherever the happened
to "drop."3
To show how important burying the dead is, the Chinese hire elderly people who are
familiar with the ancient wisdom of feng-shui, or the spirits of "the wind and water."
This type of ancient art was also called geomancy. The reason why the Chinese hire
elderly people is because they want someone who is experienced in the field, not someone
who's new and had recently learned it from books. The Chinese believe that the more
experience a person has, the more reliable is that person. The geomancer helped the dead
select favorable sites for graves.4 These favorable sites not only had to be affordable
to the family but had to bring good luck to the family and ensure that there will be no
evil spirits haunting them. Like the traditional matchmaker, the geomancer is respected
for his wisdom and experience in life. Some similarities between the jobs of the
matchmaker and geomancer are those of which they both check the social statuses of their
clients. The matchmaker has to make sure that he does not match a rich young lady to a
poor young man, and the geomancer has to make sure that he picks a gravesite that is
affordable to the family. The matchmaker and the geomancer also have to ensure that the
matches and graves that they choose will only bring good luck to the families and not bad
luck. Calculating the ages of the people involved and comparing to the stars of the sky
does this: astrology. 
In foreign countries like France and Spain, during funerals the undertakers, mourners,
and pallbearers are supposed to wear black. The black clothing shows their grief and also
protects them from evil spirits and ghosts that night be hovering nearby. Also used
during funeral processions are wreaths, which reflect their heathen beliefs. The many
circles of a wreath are designed to keep the spirit of the dead with in bounds.5 During
Chinese funerals, the mourners are supposed to wear unbleached, unhemmed, white clothing.
White was considered the color of death to the Chinese people because they believe that
white represents pureness. They believed that since the dead were moving on, they should
wear something reflecting innocence to show how the deceased had lead a life of good
deeds and charity, therefore moving on to a better place. It is an offense to wear such
flashy colors as red, yellow, or green. 6
Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism influence Chinese attitudes towards death. The Chinese
tradition usually discourages anxiety about death. Since Taoism is rigidly aligned with
nature, death is considered a natural part of the life cycle. Confucianism taught the
people that showing grief after death was appropriate. They believed that grieving for
the dead was a sign of respect, a sign of how they will miss the guidance and help of
their elders and loved ones. Even though Confucianism encourages the grieving of the
deceased, they also believe that it should not last too long-because all things have an
end.7 The religion that has the most influence on Chinese attitudes towards death is
Buddhism. The reason that Buddhism has such a great influence is that it provides a
"correct" way to a funeral. There are certain dos and do nots that must be followed. In
other beliefs such as Taoism and Confucianism, there are no rules, no exact way in which
a funeral should proceed in. Because there are no exact rules in Taoism and Confucianism,
the people often fear that they might be doing the wrong thing, therefore hindering the
proceeding of the deceased to nirvana.
Buddhists believe that people should celebrate death as a way to pass to the next
incarnation and move closer to nirvana (heaven). To Buddhists, the way in which a person
dies is very important. They believed that a person's last thoughts along with his
accomplishments while alive determined what his next life would be like. The goal of most
Chinese Buddhists is to have followed the eight-fold path and to die without fear or
regret.8
Buddhist funerals are very much like noisy celebrations. There is a lot of chanting,
banging of gongs, and incense burning. The reason for the noise, is to tell everyone that
this person was dead and moving on to the next life.9 The noise is also used to express
to the dead that they were all happy that the person is free from the pressures and
sufferings of life, which are stated in the Four Noble Truths. After the traditional
funeral, most Buddhists are cremated. They believed that by being cremated, their soul
will be released from the body and move on to the next incarnation. "The funeral pyre is
usually sprinkled with consecrated oil and other offerings wrapped in white scarves."10
Since white was the color of death, the Chinese believed that by wrapping items in white
and burning them, the dead people will get these items in the other realm. These "items"
are the things that were most cherished by the deceased. For example, they might give a
teddy bear to a child because he loved it so much. The reason the Chinese people give
such items to the dead is to give them comfort, so that they will not be afraid and feel
lonely while they are travelling to their next life or nirvana.
The Chinese also believe in spirits and ghosts. Generally, ghosts are understood as the
spirit of some deceased person appearing in visible form. In China, a ghost is the spirit
of someone who has died an unusual death. "Ghosts of bandits were believed to linger
close to the site of their execution. If a pregnant woman passed this spot, the ghost
might later try to wrest out the child's soul during birth and be born in instead."11 
Among the many beliefs and attitudes about death, the Chinese also believe in ancestral
worship. They believe in remembering the deceased elders. They would have tablets with
the names of the deceased on them put upon shrines and burn incense and pray to them
daily. The Chinese have great respect for their elders, honoring them regularly with
offerings of roasted pigs and other foods they had loved, and praying to them. These
practices contribute to a sense that death is an everyday part of daily life.12 The
Chinese people have great respect for their elders. They believed that since the elders
were experienced and wise, they should be respected for their knowledge and guidance. The
Chinese people believed that even though the ancestors are deceased, their spirits will
always live on, watching over the descendants. 
In honor of their dead, the Chinese have set holidays, one holiday is Qing Ming This is
in the early April of the American calendar and is one of the most important traditional
Chinese festivals. " During Qing Ming, the people are supposed to visit their family
graves to 'sweep' or clean them of weeds." 13
In present day China, because of the introduction of Communist beliefs, the traditional
beliefs and attitudes have been changed. Communists believed that religion and the "old
ways" were not important, that believing in the government and the nation as a whole was
important. Because of this, Chinese people no longer buy their coffins at the age of
sixty, buy they do still pray to their ancestors for protection and guidance, mourn their
parents, and sweep the family graves at the spring festivals 
To the Chinese, death will always remain a mystery and they will always be fascinated
with it- just as the rest of the rest of the world has been. Even though dying means
losing some one close in this world, the Chinese will always celebrate deaths, because
only through death, can you be one step closer to nirvana.
Endnotes
1) John S. Major, The Land and People of China (New York: Harper & Row 
Publishers, Inc. 1989) p. 14.
2) My mom told me this.
3) Fox Butterfield China- Alive in the Bitter Sea (New York: TIMES BOOKS, 
1982) p. 256.
4) Fox Butterfield p. 256.
5) Constance Jones R.I.P.-The Complete Book of Death & Dying (New York: 
Harper Collins Publishers, 1997) p. 120.
6) Constance Jones p. 163.
7) Constance Jones p. 12.
8) Constance Jones p. 20.
9) My mom told me this.
10) Constance Jones p. 20.
11) Constance Jones p. 129.
12) Constance Jones p. 12.
13) Fox Butterfield p. 257.
Bibliography
- Butterfield, Fox. China- Alive in the Bitter Sea. New York: TIMES BOOKS, 1982.
- Jones, Constance. R.I.P. The Complete Book of Death & Dying. New York: Harper Collins
Publishers, 1997.
- Major, John. The Land and People of China. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc.
1989.
Throughout the history of mankind, "death" has always been a fascination. People have
always wondered about the causes of death, the aftermath of death, and whether it could
be stopped. Among these people were the Chinese, who like many other people, believed
there was life after death. They performed certain rituals " to help them along their
way." Chinese attitudes toward death are reflected in funerary rituals, Buddhist
philosophy and reverence for the deceased.
Death is a very important issue to the Chinese people. The son of a family has the
obligation to give his parents a proper funeral. "This includes such essential elements
as; a large coffin, a funeral procession, a well-chosen gravesite, gifts and offerings to
the soul of the deceased, a period of mourning, and keeping an ancestral shrine. If a
Chinese son fails to follow these obligations, he has committed a serious offense against
society."1 
The Chinese believed in giving a proper funeral to their elders because when the elders
were alive, they had shared their experiences and knowledge with the young. The Chinese
followed the requirements to a proper funeral because they believed in remembering the
dead, who were once close to them. They wanted to remember the dead by praying to them
daily and making them offerings. The Chinese believed that there were certain rituals
that were necessary for certain events. For example, during a wedding, the Chinese
believed that the couple must bow to the parents and offer them tea. Only then, can the
couple be happily married. Because the Chinese believe in performing certain rituals for
certain events, anyone who doesn't give his parents a proper funeral would have mocked
traditional beliefs. This son would be considered as a pariah in his village and looked
upon as "dirty" by his neighbors. 
To the Chinese, being buried in a coffin was very important. Chinese people wanted to
bury the dead in coffins to preserve their bodies, protect them from decaying as fast.
Although the soul of the person was to move on, the Chinese wanted to save the body as a
way to remember the elderly. To some people being buried in a coffin is so important that
they rather spend their money on a coffin than on necessary provisions. Although burial
in a coffin is preferred, cremations also take place. A cremation is when a corpse is
placed on a pyre and burned to ashes. 
In the cities of present day China, because of the great overpopulation and lack of
usable land, the government has made cremation a necessity. Cremation is also encouraged
in rural areas in efforts of saving arable land for farming. Since the people living in
the rural areas are farmers who can provide their own necessities and are independent of
the government, they are more concerned with their traditional beliefs and practices than
the concerns of the government. In the villages, peasants begin saving to buy coffins for
themselves after they pass the age of sixty; which was considered the number of years a
life cycle should be.2 People have claimed that if a person died before turning sixty
years old, he/she was a "short-life devil." Because of this belief, the people that died
before turning the age of sixty years old were not buried and left wherever the happened
to "drop."3
To show how important burying the dead is, the Chinese hire elderly people who are
familiar with the ancient wisdom of feng-shui, or the spirits of "the wind and water."
This type of ancient art was also called geomancy. The reason why the Chinese hire
elderly people is because they want someone who is experienced in the field, not someone
who's new and had recently learned it from books. The Chinese believe that the more
experience a person has, the more reliable is that person. The geomancer helped the dead
select favorable sites for graves.4 These favorable sites not only had to be affordable
to the family but had to bring good luck to the family and ensure that there will be no
evil spirits haunting them. Like the traditional matchmaker, the geomancer is respected
for his wisdom and experience in life. Some similarities between the jobs of the
matchmaker and geomancer are those of which they both check the social statuses of their
clients. The matchmaker has to make sure that he does not match a rich young lady to a
poor young man, and the geomancer has to make sure that he picks a gravesite that is
affordable to the family. The matchmaker and the geomancer also have to ensure that the
matches and graves that they choose will only bring good luck to the families and not bad
luck. Calculating the ages of the people involved and comparing to the stars of the sky
does this: astrology. 
In foreign countries like France and Spain, during funerals the undertakers, mourners,
and pallbearers are supposed to wear black. The black clothing shows their grief and also
protects them from evil spirits and ghosts that night be hovering nearby. Also used
during funeral processions are wreaths, which reflect their heathen beliefs. The many
circles of a wreath are designed to keep the spirit of the dead with in bounds.5 During
Chinese funerals, the mourners are supposed to wear unbleached, unhemmed, white clothing.
White was considered the color of death to the Chinese people because they believe that
white represents pureness. They believed that since the dead were moving on, they should
wear something reflecting innocence to show how the deceased had lead a life of good
deeds and charity, therefore moving on to a better place. It is an offense to wear such
flashy colors as red, yellow, or green. 6
Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism influence Chinese attitudes towards death. The Chinese
tradition usually discourages anxiety about death. Since Taoism is rigidly aligned with
nature, death is considered a natural part of the life cycle. Confucianism taught the
people that showing grief after death was appropriate. They believed that grieving for
the dead was a sign of respect, a sign of how they will miss the guidance and help of
their elders and loved ones. Even though Confucianism encourages the grieving of the
deceased, they also believe that it should not last too long-because all things have an
end.7 The religion that has the most influence on Chinese attitudes towards death is
Buddhism. The reason that Buddhism has such a great influence is that it provides a
"correct" way to a funeral. There are certain dos and do nots that must be followed. In
other beliefs such as Taoism and Confucianism, there are no rules, no exact way in which
a funeral should proceed in. Because there are no exact rules in Taoism and Confucianism,
the people often fear that they might be doing the wrong thing, therefore hindering the
proceeding of the deceased to nirvana.
Buddhists believe that people should celebrate death as a way to pass to the next
incarnation and move closer to nirvana (heaven). To Buddhists, the way in which a person
dies is very important. They believed that a person's last thoughts along with his
accomplishments while alive determined what his next life would be like. The goal of most
Chinese Buddhists is to have followed the eight-fold path and to die without fear or
regret.8
Buddhist funerals are very much like noisy celebrations. There is a lot of chanting,
banging of gongs, and incense burning. The reason for the noise, is to tell everyone that
this person was dead and moving on to the next life.9 The noise is also used to express
to the dead that they were all happy that the person is free from the pressures and
sufferings of life, which are stated in the Four Noble Truths. After the traditional
funeral, most Buddhists are cremated. They believed that by being cremated, their soul
will be released from the body and move on to the next incarnation. "The funeral pyre is
usually sprinkled with consecrated oil and other offerings wrapped in white scarves."10
Since white was the color of death, the Chinese believed that by wrapping items in white
and burning them, the dead people will get these items in the other realm. These "items"
are the things that were most cherished by the deceased. For example, they might give a
teddy bear to a child because he loved it so much. The reason the Chinese people give
such items to the dead is to give them comfort, so that they will not be afraid and feel
lonely while they are travelling to their next life or nirvana.
The Chinese also believe in spirits and ghosts. Generally, ghosts are understood as the
spirit of some deceased person appearing in visible form. In China, a ghost is the spirit
of someone who has died an unusual death. "Ghosts of bandits were believed to linger
close to the site of their execution. If a pregnant woman passed this spot, the ghost
might later try to wrest out the child's soul during birth and be born in instead."11 
Among the many beliefs and attitudes about death, the Chinese also believe in ancestral
worship. They believe in remembering the deceased elders. They would have tablets with
the names of the deceased on them put upon shrines and burn incense and pray to them
daily. The Chinese have great respect for their elders, honoring them regularly with
offerings of roasted pigs and other foods they had loved, and praying to them. These
practices contribute to a sense that death is an everyday part of daily life.12 The
Chinese people have great respect for their elders. They believed that since the elders
were experienced and wise, they should be respected for their knowledge and guidance. The
Chinese people believed that even though the ancestors are deceased, their spirits will
always live on, watching over the descendants. 
In honor of their dead, the Chinese have set holidays, one holiday is Qing Ming This is
in the early April of the American calendar and is one of the most important traditional
Chinese festivals. " During Qing Ming, the people are supposed to visit their family
graves to 'sweep' or clean them of weeds." 13
In present day China, because of the introduction of Communist beliefs, the traditional
beliefs and attitudes have been changed. Communists believed that religion and the "old
ways" were not important, that believing in the government and the nation as a whole was
important. Because of this, Chinese people no longer buy their coffins at the age of
sixty, buy they do still pray to their ancestors for protection and guidance, mourn their
parents, and sweep the family graves at the spring festivals 
To the Chinese, death will always remain a mystery and they will always be fascinated
with it- just as the rest of the rest of the world has been. Even though dying means
losing some one close in this world, the Chinese will always celebrate deaths, because
only through death, can you be one step closer to nirvana.
Endnotes
1) John S. Major, The Land and People of China (New York: Harper & Row 
Publishers, Inc. 1989) p. 14.
2) My mom told me this.
3) Fox Butterfield China- Alive in the Bitter Sea (New York: TIMES BOOKS, 
1982) p. 256.
4) Fox Butterfield p. 256.
5) Constance Jones R.I.P.-The Complete Book of Death & Dying (New York: 
Harper Collins Publishers, 1997) p. 120.
6) Constance Jones p. 163.
7) Constance Jones p. 12.
8) Constance Jones p. 20.
9) My mom told me this.
10) Constance Jones p. 20.
11) Constance Jones p. 129.
12) Constance Jones p. 12.
13) Fox Butterfield p. 257.
Bibliography
- Butterfield, Fox. China- Alive in the Bitter Sea. New York: TIMES BOOKS, 1982.
- Jones, Constance. R.I.P. The Complete Book of Death & Dying. New York: Harper Collins
Publishers, 1997.
- Major, John. The Land and People of China. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc.
1989.