Yongchun County is located in the southeastern part of Fujian Province in China. Total land area approximately 1400 square km and its population about 500,000. Dongping Town is a mountainous area in Yongchun County. Between the town and village is separated by large tracts of rice paddies.
During my stay in Yongchun County, I was called to conduct a funeral ceremony for a passed on lady who lived more than 90 years. The whole atmosphere of the funeral scene was not sad, but also many people came to pay their last respects. It could be considered large buried scenery as far as a small town was concerned. The death of a person was also a matter for the whole village. The villagers were busy setting up tentage and handling bamboo tables and chairs as well as kitchen utensils in orderly manner. As we were presiding over the spiritual enlightenment ceremony as early as six o'clock in the morning, the village women came very punctual in the morning just to prepare meals for our taoist priests. Relatives and friends carried with them handy of offerings for the memorial service before the funeral procession took place. Once the spiritual enlightenment ceremony was over, the funeral parlor staff carried the body of the deceased into the coffin. Thenafter the head of the village hold a memorial service outside the bereaved family home.
Death can be considered life outside of a new community as majority of the villagers think so and therefore a funeral party in a way has been formed as a prelude to a trend, such as the western brass band, chinese drum, stilt walking and traditional dance troupe and etc. is nothing new in the funeral procession. The walking distance from the bereaved family home to the sending off area can be as far as five kilometers. Nowadays you would be expected to witness some unexpecting in the funeral wake which I am fully agreed because the lack of a written consultation is a peculiarity of our folk culture and practice.
During my stay in Yongchun County, I was called to conduct a funeral ceremony for a passed on lady who lived more than 90 years. The whole atmosphere of the funeral scene was not sad, but also many people came to pay their last respects. It could be considered large buried scenery as far as a small town was concerned. The death of a person was also a matter for the whole village. The villagers were busy setting up tentage and handling bamboo tables and chairs as well as kitchen utensils in orderly manner. As we were presiding over the spiritual enlightenment ceremony as early as six o'clock in the morning, the village women came very punctual in the morning just to prepare meals for our taoist priests. Relatives and friends carried with them handy of offerings for the memorial service before the funeral procession took place. Once the spiritual enlightenment ceremony was over, the funeral parlor staff carried the body of the deceased into the coffin. Thenafter the head of the village hold a memorial service outside the bereaved family home. 
Death can be considered life outside of a new community as majority of the villagers think so and therefore a funeral party in a way has been formed as a prelude to a trend, such as the western brass band, chinese drum, stilt walking and traditional dance troupe and etc. is nothing new in the funeral procession. The walking distance from the bereaved family home to the sending off area can be as far as five kilometers. Nowadays you would be expected to witness some unexpecting in the funeral wake which I am fully agreed because the lack of a written consultation is a peculiarity of our folk culture and practice.
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