Recently my grandmother passed away, and the person who is arranging everything mentioned that this past year was the highest amounts of death in Shanghai in the last 10 years. So it got me thinking is this the next housing bubble for China, Funeral services? It makes sense with China's ever growing elderly population it just makes sense.
I wouldn't be surprised if there are more and more funeral service providers pop up in the next 5 years, and after attending my grandmother's funeral, I have to hand it to the Chinese, they really know how to streamline. Even with it being the end year festival week, there was plenty of funeral services going on at the particular establishment.
In America we have basically a church or a funeral home. Keyword home, you wouldn't except more than a few rooms at most to hold a service. Well in China it's a funeral mall, for a lack of a better word. I didn't exactly how many room there were but I can well assure you there were at least 20-30 rooms.
I been to a couple of funeral services in the States and had to help plan for two, this was the first Chinese death I've experienced. I am neither happy or sad about my grandmother's death. She was 91 and it was her time I understand that. With that being said, it was a very interesting experience, to experience this part of my culture.
There are so many customs and traditions to when a person dies, and many people don't know all the rules anymore, at least in Shanghai. So what do you do? You hire someone. The benefits of hiring someone to help you with carrying out the customs and traditions is: 1. It's really comforting with someone who know all the rules 2. They do all the arranging so you don't have to. When my grandmother passed, we have to keep an incense burning at all time, this meant rotation sleeping. Another thing is that we need to fold foil paper in the shape of ancient Chinese gold ingots. These are just a few things that you have to do. I'm not even completely sure of what you supposed to do.
I'm happy to know that my grandmother went peacefully, and I hope that I folded her enough foil papers to make her happy.
Well that about it, so until next time.
-MC
In America we have basically a church or a funeral home. Keyword home, you wouldn't except more than a few rooms at most to hold a service. Well in China it's a funeral mall, for a lack of a better word. I didn't exactly how many room there were but I can well assure you there were at least 20-30 rooms.
I been to a couple of funeral services in the States and had to help plan for two, this was the first Chinese death I've experienced. I am neither happy or sad about my grandmother's death. She was 91 and it was her time I understand that. With that being said, it was a very interesting experience, to experience this part of my culture.
There are so many customs and traditions to when a person dies, and many people don't know all the rules anymore, at least in Shanghai. So what do you do? You hire someone. The benefits of hiring someone to help you with carrying out the customs and traditions is: 1. It's really comforting with someone who know all the rules 2. They do all the arranging so you don't have to. When my grandmother passed, we have to keep an incense burning at all time, this meant rotation sleeping. Another thing is that we need to fold foil paper in the shape of ancient Chinese gold ingots. These are just a few things that you have to do. I'm not even completely sure of what you supposed to do.
I'm happy to know that my grandmother went peacefully, and I hope that I folded her enough foil papers to make her happy.
Well that about it, so until next time.
-MC
