Main Guide Menu | Chinese Community Section Menu
Family and community visits
Family and community will wish to be present at times of critical illness and imminent death.
Death-related religious rituals
- There are no particular cultural rituals surrounding death and any rituals will be determined by the religion followed. Check what religion should be followed with the person, family or spiritual/personal adviser.
- The requirements for Christian traditions are described in their particular sections. Chinese tend to follow Chan Buddhism, which tends to be freer from overt ritual than other traditions.
Cleaning and touching the body
The religious affiliation may have implications for how the body is prepared and any requirements will also need to be checked with the person or family. For example, in Buddhism the manner in which the body is handled immediately after death is usually important and these requirements may apply.
Postmortem requirements
Traditionally a body would not have been cut, while in modern Chinese society practices have changed. Additionally, Buddhist groups indicate a preference that postmortem is conducted only if absolutely essential. There are likely to be variances in the approach to postmortem and the family should be consulted before the procedure takes place.
Interment ritual and bereavement
- Both cremation and burial are practised.
- Traditionally, the family held a ceremony for the deceased person at home, which lasted for up to three days, ending with releasing the spirit of the person to the ancestor shrine, heaven and their grave. The location of the grave traditionally was determined using the principles of an ancient practice calledfengshui, which has been commonly used in Chinese architecture over the centuries. Some may continue this, while others hold a simpler ceremony or a religious related one.
