A Chinese Funeral

The Chinese funeral procession is an spectacle of pomp and circumstance. At the head of the procession is the cart carrying some of the material things of the dead--as these will be burned during the burial. There are miniature paper houses and cars especially made to be burned in the funeral. Kim, or Chinese dead money, are spread out in the procession and burned in the burial.

The funeral parade is led by the live band playing a funeral march. It is followed by the hearse and the grieving family. One can actually hear the wails of the mourners, competing with the loud funeral music. The family, who are the chief mourners, must wear white colors, all the male members with a white band around their heads, while the women wearing white veils. The other relatives and close friends of the deceased must follow the order of procession, each wearing a sash pinned diagonally across their bodies.

Before the burial, all mourners must walk around the open coffin, each holding incense to offer to the dead. They plant the incense in the make-shift altar where the picture of their departed one is placed. Foods are also offered to the dead.

The photos below are being posted strictly for this blog only. I have been granted the permission of the family to post these pictures here, and not anywhere else. I will not accompany the pictures with captions and will instead let the pictures speak for themselves.

The funeral cart that carries the material possessions of the dead. Ironically, the cart has a sign that reads "Mabuhay".

The family members and friends pay final homage to the dead before internment.