The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-17
CHINESE BURIAL CUSTOMS.
varied aud Curious Practices ca
Insure Comfort 10 the Dead.


Insure Comfort Co the Dead.
From the New York Trlhuns.
The burial customs Of China are as va
ried almost ~ the dialects Of the peoples.
but in no province are shey more inter-
etung than Tea Foo Kicn. and especially in
,hc neighborhood 81 Annoy the city which
has iusi been brought prominently before
che world on account OF lts occupation BY
I the japanese troops. The picturesque hills
which surround Annoy are dotted WIKI
/ thousspds of horseshoe shaped tombs Of
{ gniterlng white. Whico produce a some
I what uncnnny effect
bui of an tho odd grnveyards near
I Annoy. none Is SO strangely weird a. the
. one depicted in the following IL
/ is the last resting place Of about 3o0o
Tartcr soldiers who died OF disease or
were killed half "a century or more ago.
They De- there side hy side, like the fur
I rows Of ploughed heid or the waves u
/ lazy sea. she men IN positions CORE
I spending 40 those which they would have
/ held IN the ranks and the officers IN ad-
vance % them as they would have been
I on parade or IN action These graves are
I che only ones the writer ever saw IN Chi
/ ma that IN shape or aspect rcsembied
I those Of Europeans Each mound has been
n
and SO well has che work hen done that
/ tho elements might be- dened for centuries.
/ With the succeeding years these case
mcnts have grown harder and harder.
ana although little or no attention ls ever
paid 20 the strange graveyard It Il won
/ derfuily free from che weeds that one
would naturally expect 90 md nourishing
{ there. Each grave bears the name o. rs
[ occupant
The little valley In which they he is n
sinRularly beautiful spot The granite
! faced hills which lean hack from IA show
alternate patches 81 Elittering rock and
/ clumps % the Rreenest vegetation Tho
J crowded city OF the living. although only
n stones throw away. T. hidden SO still
and serene are the immediate surround
I lnRs that one might imagine ones self
thousand miles from the maddoning
crowd
The ground was chosen for It's propi-
7 ti0ua flung shut A" This extraordinary su-
I perstition Is one ~ the foundations OF
/ the Chinese social system. and could ade-
0uafelv be- described only IN a long ar
I ticie. It's chief features. however may
I be- briefly told To the Chinese the
whole face Of nature T. fun % signs ana
omens The course 81 a river the po-
sition OF q pile OF rock. ana the like, are
ronlete with significance 10 those who
pretend 10 understand these mysteries.
Tire flung -shuif may be translated az
wind and water rules" and the flung
shut doctors are the men who preserve
7 what China has Of natural science and
7 splfituallfm The system f. old. Of course.
I ~ present form. indeed. has changed nt-
tle since the twelfth century its appics-
ton 20 burial customs a. les most import
ant development
Round the mystery o. death revolvea
the whole religious system Of the Chi
sran.- -.
relentless. hut they may be propitiated
hy The lntercersion o. he departed spir-
ia who have AZ heart ire welfare ~ the
living This IS the reason that the only
form Of religion which appeals 20 the or
binary Chinese - that OF ancestor wor-
ship A large star Of ancestors. hattered
By me careful descendant into continual
[ intercession Tor his material prosperity.
I 10 obviously valuable asset. Therefore
che comfort u the dead is the hrst
thought Of the living. for although the
I spifit 81 the dead r. free. the body must
Ne in 81 grave. and az ease. or the spirit
ls annoyed Exposure 40 the elements. the
nature Of the soil the confguFation or
the hiile-ali these affect the comfort %
The occupant Of the grave.
To avoid hurging ones relatives IN
I the clutches 81 some earth dragon or
/ leaving them exposed 10 some evil current
I 81 the air u h. necessary to call In the
I services % q fung-ahul doctor This doc
I tor will see that che man ~ buried IN
sucn fashion that he will bear no ~
/ will toward his descendant. Sometimes
the corpse will remain for years unburied
while the family seeks for q spot fuh OF
lucky unR-shui OF savoe money 20 buy
! such q place The two earth currents
those ~ the dragon ana che tiger. must
be on The right and the left ~ the grave
The gcomancer arranges these things by
the direction Of streams. the position OF
male and female ground" the position
81 enc stars. ana the like The whole
system b. one OF incredible confusion and
ahairdity. but u AFFORDS fine living 10
ne learned professors
The fung-shui q most 20 he considered
AZ burial but the Observance OF many
customs D. entailed BY the severe laws
Of precedent which 20 great extent
govern Chinese life Customs vary IN
the different provinces. AZ Annoy the
breath u no sooner out of a body than
4 hole IL bored through the roof 20 permit
I the escape o. the spirit. Then piece OF
silver IS put into che mouth Of the corpse.
= In the supposiiion that hrlbe which 40
often smoothed the Path Of life, will not
be less potent after death among the
officials or Hades Papers having lucky
figures on them are burnt together with
paper money The body lies In its best
garments in a coffin which resembles I'm
shape the trunk OF a tree. Quickilme
Is put IN and the conn Is sealed with
mortar II Il Is not to be buried az
once % II placed In the hall OF ancestors
and incense Is burned before It day ami
night In the South. around Annoy. a
hare hillside il lucky place for burial.
because the white ants win not then at
tack the coffin A good view, n ciump
81 trees and valley are an lucky spots
ard are bought as high prices.
--fsftn ,sott Ana Nahlr~ -