Death and Funerary Customs
In Ancient China death and funerals were taken very seriously. If something went wrong in the funeral or the arrangements it was believed that bad fortune would come the the family of the deceased. The proper funeral must be performed due to the deceased status, even if the family then goes into debt. If a child that has no children dies, he/she will not have a funeral as elder people do not pay respect to someone younger. The preparations for a funeral often starts before the death has occurred, a good example of this is the first Emperor of China; Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Who made the Terracotta Warriors years before his actual death.
To learn more about the Qin Dynasty click on the button below.
To learn more about the Qin Dynasty click on the button below.
Funerals - Steps 1, 2 and 3
The Funeral Ceremony
After all the prayers the coffin is nailed shut. This represents the separation from the dead to the living. While this is happening, all the people present must look away as it is considered bad fortune to watch while a coffin is being sealed. There are often many volunteers to carry the coffin, as it was believed that the deceased's blessings would fall the pallbearer.
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The Burial
Most burials were on a hillside because this was thought to improve the geomantic Oman. After the coffin is lowered into the ground, all family members throw a handful of dirt into the grave. After this all the clothes worn at the funeral must be burned to avoid bad luck. The eldest son then collects some dirt and keeps it in an incense holder which will then be worshiped by the family.
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Mourning
After the funeral the mourning continues for another 100 days. During this time a piece of cloth is worn by the family members of the deceased. Black is worn by the deceased's children, blue for grandchildren and green for great grandchildren. If the family of the deceased is a very traditional family, this cloth could be worn for up to 3 years. However if the deceased is a child or wife this mourning is not required.
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The Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It was built for Emperor Qin from 246–206 BC and required 720,000 builders to complete it. The Terracotta army is made up of 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. These were built for Emperor Qin as they were supposed to protect him in the afterlife as well as being built to be a show of his glory, to remember the army that triumphed over the other Warring States to unite China. It was believed that objects like statues can be animated in the afterlife and Qin Shi Huang required an after-death army. Amazingly, each of the 8,000 soldiers are completed in incredible detail. Every soldier is different in gestures and facial expressions, some even with colour showing. They are also in ranks, shown by their height, which is incredibly precise.