FUNERAL
HERITAGE
REPORT
2024
The World Organization of Funeral Operatives
Cheng Yuanyuan
Chair of FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Committee
Director of Cultural Heritage Working Committee, China Funeral Association
Dear reader,
In this introduction to the 6th edition of
the FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Report,
firstly I would like to extend my gratitude
to all FIAT-IFTA members for providing
reports with historical and cultural
characteristics of each country, and my
appreciation to members of the Funeral
Heritage Committee for their efforts on
funeral cultural heritage protection.
Funeral heritage is one of the most
important cultural heritages of mankind.
At present, numerous funeral cultural
heritage items around the world have
been listed on the World Heritage List.
In many Asian countries, there are
several funeral heritage elements with
national
features
in
various
states’
Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. The
FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Committee is
committed to the collection, cataloging,
protection, promotion and preservation
of
global
funeral
cultural
heritage,
thereby highlighting cultural diversity
and safeguarding human dignity, which
is
considered
an
essential
method
to highlight common ground while
reserving differences, jointly addressing
sustainable development and addressing
the challenges within the global funeral
industry.
Our
committee
is
devoted
to
the
communication
and
exchange
of
funeral
cultural
heritage
knowledge
through research, training, education,
publications, network platforms, and
other ways, to promote global cooperation
in the inventory and protection of funeral
heritage. We work to recognize and
celebrate the concept of life, death and
sacrificial rites in the funeral industry
across all of the countries and races of
the world, so as to enhance the reverence
and respect for life.
Our
mission
and
responsibility
is
significant but arduous. We are looking
forward to working with global service
professionals, scholars, experts, research
institutions and those who focus on
funeral cultural heritage, to contribute
our collective efforts to the protection of
mankind’s intangible funeral heritage.
Cheng Yuanyuan
Chair of FIAT-IFTA Funeral Heritage Committee
Director of Cultural Heritage Working Committee,
China Funeral Association
INTRODUCTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRAZIL
A Complex Simplicity. An Insight into
Brazilian Funeral Art.
12
P.R OF CHINA
Hakka Funeral.
Ancestor Worship Customs.
22
P.R OF CHINA
Huizhou Ancestral Sacrifice. Cultural
heritage created by laboring people.
28
COLOMBIA
Alabaos and gualíes.
Songs that say goodbye to the souls.
32
HUNGARY
All Saints’ Day Candle Lighting.
The History and Renewal.
36
INDONESIA
Toraja people. Living with Death.
42
JAPAN
Cremation rituals.
Way into the spirit world.
48
MEXICO
Pan de muerto. Simple sweet bread baked
to celebrate the lives of the dead.
54
MEXICO
Xoloitzcuintle dog. Spiritual guide and soul
companion on the journey to eternal rest.
58
POLAND
Cracow’s Rękawka. An old-Slavonic spring
ritual to honour the deceased.
62
POLAND
Funeral customs of the Kurpie Białe.
A community that supports its members
during mourning time.
72
SPAIN
Huesos de santo.
Sweets for All Saints’ Day.
76
SWEDEN
Funeral hymns. Songs that brings comfort
and hope in the face of death.
80
UNITED KINGDOM
Corpse Roads. The ancient pathways to a
final resting place.
84
UNESCO
Operational Directives for the implementation
of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage.
São Miguel Cemetery in Goiás (GO)
Photo by Maria Elizia Borges
BRAZIL
A Complex Simplicity
An insight into Brazilian Funeral Art
Cemeteries compel us to confront the
imperative reality of life's finitude, and
they play a crucial role in helping us
understand our relationship with death
and with those who have departed. In
Brazil, open-air burial grounds established
during the 19th and 20th centuries boast
artworks created by companies and
independent artists1 that stand out for
their scale, decorative elements, and
artistic merit. These are the renowned
ensembles found in cemeteries that
are
considered
‘secularized’
and
‘monumental’ and particularly prevalent
in the country's major capital cities.
Architectural creativity
in Brazilian cemeteries
Monumental tombs, typically dedicated
to families prominent in regional politics
and/or the economy, are examples of the
works that typically capture the attention
of not only visitors but also researchers
of funeral art and architecture. The study
of rural cemeteries is an exception within
this context. These artworks are not
usually considered the most expressive
in
Brazilian
funeral
art
regarding
occurrence and representation. However,
in most cities, it is much more common
to find works belonging to what can be
labelled as 'popular funeral architecture'
than grand structures with substantial
financial investments in monumental
works intended for the keeping of the
deceased.
In cemeteries found in many towns and
minor cities, the building of smaller tomb
structures made from various construction
materials that are affordable and often
sourced from home renovations, such as
tiles, bricks, and leftover paint, are still
prevalent. These materials are frequently
repurposed in the construction of such
tombs, often crafted not by specialized
funeral architecture professionals but by
masons and craftsmen whose knowledge
and experience can give birth to simple
and creative solutions. Interestingly, such
popular works rarely bear the signature
of their creators, but a discerning eye can
attest to the capability of these builders
to recreate churches, houses, ornaments,
and other elements with rare ingenuity.
Equally important, they can do so while
also catering to their clientele's religious
beliefs, peculiarities, and desires.
It is a known fact that local cemeteries
without such structures are rare. These
combine simple materials and original
forms that often mimic models of those
belonging to the elite funeral architecture,
BRAZIL
FUNERAL HERITAGE REPORT 2024
and
whose
influence
is
distinctly
European. Alternatively, more personal
architectural projects are created, and
this is done within a dynamic established
by men and women, and in a constant
process of creation and recreation.
Such constructions were the subject of
analysis in the book 'A Complex Simplicity:
Records of Diversity and Architectural
Creativity in Brazilian Cemeteries2,' co-
authored by Maria Elizia Borges and
recently released in 2022. The work
explores what is defined as 'popular
funeral architecture,' based on tomb
examples found in 39 cemeteries from
the North to the South of the country.
Our focus was particularly on the
architecture and rituals present in the
tombs, which are majorly evidenced by
candle lighting, the placement of natural
or artificial flowers, among others. We
did not delve into other rituals that
accompany and are an essential part of
these elements, such as the manner of
body transport, the arrangement of the
deceased in the coffins according to the
models used, the flower decorations,
and other practices leading up to burial.
Given the collective importance of these
rites, they would be the topic for another
book.
The structures that can be classified
as ‘popular funeral architecture’ are
generally installed in the more distant
areas from the main entrance of the
necropolises. In the framework of this
specific type of architecture, we find
monuments that, for example, do not
have architectural plans but meet the
needs of the contractors – often the
same people who worked as a mason
on the family's house and who carry
their values with the aim of constructing
functional spaces filled with symbols of
various types and shapes that are of easy
assimilation.
With their vast symbology and various
materials
and
monuments,
popular
funeral architecture, despite forming
the largest set within Brazilian burial
production, faces a higher risk of
neglect and destruction due to the low
visibility, value perception, and the
limited durability of the materials used
in its construction. The book thus aims
to provide a platform for a broader
representation of these signs of popular
expressions in cemeteries as a way to
expand the concepts that define funeral
cultural heritage. In one of the possible
definitions, this heritage can be seen
as the set of tangible and intangible
assets found in burial places, diverse
collections, cemeteries, and other spaces,
as well as practices related to death.
In addition to the elements linked to
cemeteries, it also encompasses places,
activities, and rituals, such as customs
of body preparation and wakes, types of
processions and celebrations for specific
dates, including All Souls' Day, Seventh
Day Masses, worship at places associated
with renowned 'miracle-workers, etc.
This broad and diverse set of elements
of various origins also incorporates
personal and company collections from
the funeral industry3.
The value of funeral legacy
It is also important to highlight that the
book only approached the universe
of
constructive
and
architectural
possibilities present in our cemeteries,
given the vastness and cultural diversity of
our country. Yet, the selection presented
offers a sense of the plurality of forms,
materials, resources, technology, art,
BRAZIL
and symbolism from the photographic
collection of the two researchers who
selected
works
without
considering
the dates of the tombs, for example, to
present models of the popular funeral
architecture existing in the country.
One of the fundamental motivations of
this study is to remind administrators,
researchers, and advocates of cemetery
preservation
of
the
much
greater
challenges in preserving less imposing
cemetery works, not forgetting that
discussing the preservation of funeral
cultural heritage is already a challenge
given the relationship with finitude and
the limited debate about the value of this
type of legacy.
A great partner in this preservation
challenge is the Funeral Trade Fair
Brazil, which has been strengthening
the culture, history, and knowledge on
cemetery collections and fostering good
relationships within the Brazilian funeral
sector since its first edition in 2009.
Through these events, which began in the
Northeastern region of the country, the
Fair has provided various entrepreneurs,
collaborators, and partners with the
opportunity to learn not only about
the services provided but also the
history and value of our funeral cultural
heritage, as well as the importance of the
support provided to the loved ones of
the deceased. In addition to facilitating
book launches, theatrical and cultural
performances on the subject of death
and cemeteries, it also aims to strengthen
the concept of humanized care and best
practices in service provision, including
Municipal Cemetery of the Fernando de Noronha Island (Distrito Estadual/PE)
Photo by Maria Elizia Borges
FUNERAL HERITAGE REPORT 2024
consultations, products, equipment, and
new technologies presented during the
Fair.
Nevertheless, it is an undeniable fact
that establishing cultural preservation
policies for cemeteries is a complex task,
albeit not impossible, due to the diversity
of elements found in these places and
their unique and individual trajectories.
In the case of less noble burial units, the
lack of documentation, greater wear and
tear on materials, the absence of more
elaborate epitaphs, etc., can lead to a
lack of understanding of their value by
researchers and even the managers of
these collections.
The work and study of these funerary
structures reward us with the knowledge
of the old and new layers of the history
of the communities to which they
belong. Popular funerary works often
defy the logic of the formal or the ‘official’
market, which is also present in death
management, and demonstrate that
following the preparation of the body for
the wake and its burial, another struggle
against neglect will take place for those
who wish to build a tomb. In other words,
people from the lower social strata often
suffer from the same lack of basic social
rights that accompanied them during
their lives and, sometimes, driven by
the popular belief that unburied bodies
lead to wandering souls4, they will find
ways to ensure that the place that holds
the body identifies its occupants and
guarantees them the right to not have
their trajectory erased.
In conclusion, it is via the study of these
burial units, in all their intricate detail
and missing elements, that a whole
universe which is ready to be interpreted
is unveiled. If, with this work, new
subject research is incited and visitors'
perspectives and attentions are turned
to these monuments, we can safely say
that we will have achieved our main
objective.
Elisiana Trilha Castro, PhD
Funeral Heritage Specialist
Santa Tereza Cemetery
in São Pedro de Alcântara (SC)
Source: Collection of Elisiana Trilha Castro – Project
'Hier ruht in Gott' (‘Here they rest in God’), 2007
10
BRAZIL
Footnotes:
1. In the early 20th century, cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro had numerous sculpture studios
that competed with marble workshops in the production of funerary statuary. Notable among
these were the studios of Rodolfo Bernardelli and José Otavio Correia Lima in Rio de Janeiro, and
that of Amadeo Zani and Celso Antônio, in São Paulo.
2. BORGES, Maria Elizia; CASTRO, Elisiana Trilha. A Complex Simplicity: Records of Diversity and
Architectural Creativity in Brazilian Cemeteries (original title in Portuguese: Uma complexa
simplicidade: registros da diversidade e da criatividade arquitetônica popular nos cemitérios brasileiros).
Florianópolis: Impressul, 2022. The book was funded by the National Council for Scientific and
Technological Development (CNPq) as part of the project ‘Images of Death: Funeral Art in Brazil
(2019-2023),’ linked to the Graduate Program in History at the Federal University of Goiás, under
the guidance of Professor Dr. Maria Elizia Borges.
3. CASTRO, Elisiana Trilha. The funerary cultural heritage of Santa Catarina (original title in
Portuguese: O patrimônio cultural funerário catarinense). 1st ed. Florianópolis: FCC, 2017.
4. According to one of the beliefs in Brazilian religiosity, wandering souls are spirits of deceased
individuals who do not find ‘rest’ because they have failed to fulfil commitments, including that
of guaranteeing for themselves access to a dignified burial. The belief goes that they end up
returning to the earth to seek the help and prayers of family and friends.
Niche of a funeral drawer at Cemitério da Saudade in Ribeirão Preto (SP)
Photo by Luciano Bortoletto
11
FUNERAL HERITAGE REPORT 2024
Worship site
12
P.R OF CHINA
P.R OF CHINA
Hakka Funeral
Ancestor Worship Customs
The Hakka people are one of the
most widely distributed and culturally
influential branches of the Han ethnicity,
leaving a rich tapestry of tangible and
intangible cultural heritage that has
made significant marks in the history of
world culture. Particularly, Hakka funeral
culture not only inherits the traditions
of Han culture but also features many
distinctive aspects, reflecting traditional
values like filial piety and the clan system.
In their daily life, the Hakka people highly
value education and literary pursuits, and
they place special emphasis on funeral
rituals. It’s common for Hakka individuals
to prepare their coffins in advance,
storing them in an empty room on the
second floor of their earthen buildings or
suspended in the beams of the corridors.
The Hakka’s views on funerals include
a belief that the human soul does not
die and a focus on blessings, longevity,
and filial piety. Funeral ceremonies are
expected to be grand, with particular
attention paid to Feng Shui. The Hakka
also believe in karma, the idea that good
and evil deeds will eventually be repaid,
and that performing good deeds can
bring blessings to descendants. This
belief is one of the reasons why they
value funeral rites so highly.
Hakka funeral practices traditionally involve
earth burial and coffin burial. However,
with government advocacy, cremation
has gradually become more mainstream.
Other customs include collective burial,
retrieving ashes, ‘doing business’ (a ritual
practice), and wild burial. Due to prolonged
migration and cultural integration with
local customs, Hakka funeral rituals have
developed their unique characteristics:
they are deeply emotional and humane,
yet they can also be strict and solemn.
Steps in Hakka Funeral Customs
End of Life Ceremony: According to
traditional Hakka customs, anyone who
dies of old age or illness after the age of
sixty is considered to have had a long life,
known as “Xi Shou” or “happy longevity”,
which is also referred to as a “white
happy event.” When a person is about to
pass away, children and grandchildren
must keep vigil day and night, kneeling
before the dying person to listen to their
last will, crying in mourning, and burning
paper offerings to pray for the deceased’s
ascension to heaven. At the moment of
passing, the family dresses the deceased
in “longevity clothing” (traditionally, this
meant six pieces of clothing for the upper
body and four for the lower body). Upon
death, the children immediately burn
13
FUNERAL HERITAGE REPORT 2024
paper money, burn a paper sedan, and cry
loudly, a practice known as “sending off the
end.” They also quickly inform relatives and
friends about the death.
Announcing the Death: This step, also
known as “reporting death” or “reporting
filial piety,” involves the bereaved family
informing
relatives,
neighbours,
and
friends about the death, the mourning
period,
and
the
burial
date.
The
announcement can be made verbally or
in written form, and in modern times, it
may even be published in newspapers.
Typically, the announcement is made
verbally, with a filial son or eldest grandson
personally delivering the news. This is
especially the case for close relatives
and friends, as failing to do so would
be considered disrespectful. For more
distant acquaintances, a brief message
is sufficient. If the deceased is a married
woman who had children, a grandchild
must personally go to her maternal
home to announce the death. The person
announcing the death must not enter the
house directly but should kneel beside
the door, waiting for the host to come out
before crying and explaining the news.
Encoffining: Encoffining refers to the
process of wrapping the deceased’s body
and placing it in a coffin. In ancient rites,
there were distinctions between ‘major
encoffining’
and
‘minor
encoffining’.
Minor encoffining would occur three
days after death, and major encoffining
after five days, or sometimes minor
encoffining would be the next day, and
major encoffining on the third day,
corresponding to the old custom of
burying the dead after three months.
After death, during the minor encoffining,
the deceased is bathed and clothed.
Among the Hakka in Guangdong, right
after the person’s passing, a copper gong
is struck thrice to signify the end of life,
followed by hanging a white curtain in
the hall, commonly known as the “filial
curtain”. The filial sons and grandsons
shave their heads, go barefoot, carry a
bamboo lantern with incense paper and
candles inside, proceed to the riverside,
kneel to inform the river deity, and throw
three copper coins into the river. They
then fill a new clay pot with river water
to bathe the deceased’s body and change
their clothes. During encoffining, there
is a custom of ‘placing the pillow’, where
the body is laid on white cloth with the
head on a new tile, watched over day
and night. The body is then placed into
the coffin at a chosen time, a process
known as ‘entering the material’. In more
recent times, as the mourning period in
most families has shortened, the body is
typically encoffined and placed into the
coffin the day after death.
Attend upon someone when he is dying
Bathe and change clothes with water
14
P.R OF CHINA
Setting up the Mourning Hall: In the
mourning hall, white cloth is hung, a table
for incense is set up, and a spirit tablet
or portrait of the deceased is placed.
The family weeps for the deceased
morning and evening, records gifts from
relatives and friends, and the mourning
cloth is hung in order on both sides of
the hall. Every morning and evening, as
well as when friends and relatives come
to pay their respects, the women of the
bereaved family mourn beside the coffin
inside the hall. At night, relatives and
friends keep vigil, commonly known as
‘accompanying through the night’.
Performing Clan and Relative Rituals:
Also known as the ancestral rites, this
is one of the most important activities
held by the Hakka on the morning of
the burial. The ritual is led by a main
officiant (comprising clan members,
relatives,
and
neighbours)
and
a
ritual master. The main officiant and
participants bow three times, offer
incense, tea, and perform a three-part
libation ritual in front of the deceased’s
spirit, read eulogies, present flowers,
wreaths,
and
monetary
offerings.
Finally, a bouquet is offered, and the
eulogy is burned. The filial son conducts
a solemn worship ceremony, and other
relatives and friends perform the same
ritual. Some relatives perform a more
elaborate
‘nine-bow
ritual’,
bowing
nine times in different directions. This
concludes the memorial ceremony.
Funeral Procession: After the clan and
relative rituals, the “funeral procession”
begins.
The
procession
starts
with
carrying the “spirit coffin” out of the
main gate. The pallbearers (commonly
called the ‘Eight Immortals’) lift the coffin
outside the gate (known as “departing for
the funeral”). Before proceeding, a monk
(or a vegetarian nun) leads a soul-guiding
ceremony. Firecrackers are set off, drums
and gongs sound, and the mourning
couplets at the door are torn down. It’s
important to note that one should not
look directly at the coffin as it exits the
door, as it is said to emit a ‘deadly qi’.
Looking directly at it could lead to serious
illness soon after returning home.
The funeral procession is arranged in a
specific order: first, firecrackers and ‘road
papers’ are set off, followed by leading
drums, lanterns, colourful flags, memorial
banners, more drums and gongs, and
then the spirit coffin. Close relatives and
friends in mourning attire follow closely.
The procession is accompanied by the
sounds of drums and gongs, mournful
songs, and wailing. Periodically, a single
Memorial ceremony
15
FUNERAL HERITAGE REPORT 2024
firecracker is set off as they move towards
the burial site.
Burial: The spirit coffin is placed in the burial
site, chosen with careful consideration of
Feng Shui. The appearance of the tomb
resembles the Hakka’s enclosed dragon
houses, reflecting their ancestor worship.
Three days after the burial, relatives in
mourning attire visit the grave to cry,
worship, and burn paper money, a ritual
known as “Jiao San Chao”.
Seventh-Day Memorial: After a person’s
death, a memorial ceremony is held every
seven days, commonly known as “Zuo Qi”
(doing the seventh). Generally, only “five
sevenths” are observed. The final act is
the burning of the paper house for the
spirit, known as “completing the seventh”,
marking the end of the mourning period.
Annual memorial ceremony is called
“opening the small filial piety”; those held
every three years are called “opening
the large filial piety”. For the latter, red
couplets are hung at the door and in the
hall, signifying a return to normalcy.
Collecting the Bones: As per Hakka
customs, after a person’s death, the body
is initially buried in a coffin. Years later,
the coffin is reopened, and the bones
are placed into a small, round pot (about
two feet high and one foot in diameter),
known as “collecting the gold”. The pot
is then reburied or placed in a field as
the deceased’s permanent resting place.
In some areas, a large tomb is specially
built to house these “gold towers” and
tombstones, commonly known as “the
land”. Once the tomb is ready, a “garden
land” ceremony is held with rituals and
a feast, known as the “second burial”.
“Collecting the gold” is the final phase of
the entire funeral process.
The Hakka people’s reverence for their
ancestors can be described as a form of
A funeral honor guard of nobility during the Republic of China
16
P.R OF CHINA
faith; they worship their ancestors as if
they were deities. As such, funeral culture
and folk beliefs are integral components
of Hakka culture. Hakka people also have
a rich array of festival worship activities,
with particular importance given to
ancestral remembrance during festivals
like Zhongyuan, Qingming, Mid-Autumn,
and Chongyang.
In addition to festival commemorations,
Hakka ancestral worship is divided into
public and private rituals. Public rituals are
large-scale worship activities conducted
by members of the same clan or multiple
family branches to commemorate the
founding ancestors, commonly known
as “worshiping the masses.” Private
rituals are family-specific. Public rituals
involve descendants from various family
branches taking turns hosting, often
resulting in grand ceremonies with gongs,
drums, dragon and lion dances, and long
strings of firecrackers, all overseen by
a master of ceremonies. Private rituals
usually start with cleaning the grave, piling
up soil, placing offerings of meat, fruits,
and drinks, lighting candles, then incense,
followed by kneeling and worshiping
ancestors in order of seniority. After the
rituals, paper offerings like gold ingots,
spirit money, paper clothing, shoes, and
houses are burned. Upon completion,
a paper money is placed on top of the
tombstone, indicating that descendants
have visited and cleaned the grave, ending
with the setting off of firecrackers. Due to
the importance of observing seniority,
public rituals always precede private ones.
The Hakka people hold great reverence
for their ancestors. Even during uncertain
and nomadic times, they carry ancestral
spirit tablets for worship. To facilitate home
worship, Hakka residences typically have a
shrine, inscribed with red paper or wooden
tablets stating “The Spirit Position of the
Ancestors and Relatives of the [specific]
Lineage in the [specific] Hall,” commonly
referred to as the household deity.
Every step in the Hakka funeral culture is
an experience lived by the living, making
people feel that death is not an end, but
a continuation of life. For example, the
end-of-life ceremony, where family and
friends, especially direct descendants
and elder brothers, wait by the bedside
of the dying, is reminiscent of the vigil
kept during childbirth. However, while the
former signifies the end of a life, the latter
marks a beginning. Furthermore, the
elaborate and meticulous rituals in Hakka
funeral ceremonies fully demonstrate
their respect for the deceased and
worship of ancestors. These rituals are a
crucial way of seeking ancestral blessings
and prosperity for descendants and
serve as a valuable representation of the
transmission and inheritance of ancient
Hakka cultural etiquette.
Note: The above “Hakka funeral customs”
data is provided by the protection and
inheritance unit: Boluo County Luofu Pure
Land Garden Development Co., LTD. Project
protection method: In 2017, 700 square
meters of Lingnan Life Culture Center will be
built in Guangdong Luofu Pure Land Cultural
Memorial Park, a funeral company. Project
address: Jixian Bridge, Futian Town, Boluo
County, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province.
Shibi Hakka
Ancestor Worship Customs
The custom of ancestor worship of the
Hakka in Shibi began during the Hongwu
period of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1398).
More than 200 clan temples and ancestral
halls built by the Hakka clans living in
17
FUNERAL HERITAGE REPORT 2024
Shibi are still preserved in 16 townships
throughout the county, and they are the
central places for ancestor worship.
For thousands of years, the Hakka
people of Shibi have been worshipping
their ancestors according to traditional
sacrificial customs. In the early days,
individual families worshiped on the
Qingming Festival and the first day of
the eighth lunar month every year, and
gradually developed to the same clan
building ancestral temples and setting
up shrines for worship. Nowadays, it has
been extended to Hakka people at home
and abroad to worship their ancestors in
the Hakka ancestral land. And October is
set as the ancestor worship month every
year to hold public ceremonies.
On November 28, 1995, a delegation of 7
people from the World Hakka Association
of Taiwan, China, and a delegation of
17 people from the Zhongyuan Hakka
Chongzheng Association of Taipei City
attended the inauguration of the Shibi
Hakka Temple in Ninghua, China and the
first ancestral worship ceremony of the
World Hakka Shibi Ancestral Land.
Folklore Content
The ancestor worship custom (Shibi Hakka
Ancestor Worship Customs) follows the
ancient rituals and is divided into spring
and autumn festivals. The Spring Rituals is
held on the Qingming Festival, also known
as Qingming Ritual; the Autumn Rituals is
held on the first day of the eighth lunar
month, also known as Autumn Qingming
Ritual. The public sacrifice (or official
sacrifice) is grand in scale. Clan sacrifices
(also known as private sacrifices and family
sacrifices) are jointly held by descendants
of the same surname, either in ancestral
temples or at ancestral tombs, to respect
ancestors and ancestors, and to be
cautious about pursuing their ancestors.
The ancestor worship activities at Shibi
Hakka ancestral land are based on the
Shibi Hakka people’s public ceremony
18
P.R OF CHINA
Hakka people’s worship of ancestors and
seeking their roots, and inherit the ancient
traditional sacrificial rituals. The Hakka
people migrated from the south of the
Central Plains. The Shibi ancestor worship
ceremony follows the fifteen procedures
of the ancient rituals of the Central Plains:
offering sacrifices, lighting candles, setting
up the table, offering incense, kneeling and
prostrating, recommending food, storing
food, first offering, reading blessings, re-
offering, and third offering, burning of ritual
texts, acceptance of the host, withdrawal
and burial, are combined with local customs
to form a ritual that can be viewed.
Guests from Hakka communities at home
and abroad wore yellow mandarins and,
under the guidance of the honour guard
in ancient costumes, followed the “Hakka
Road” to the Hakka Temple. After the three-
way drum sounds, the Hakka relatives hold
incense and worship devoutly, expressing
their filial piety and nostalgia for their
ancestors. Afterwards, a flower basket was
presented to the Hakka Ancestor Altar,
and incense, silk and silk offerings, wine
libations and worship were performed at
the Hakka Ancestor Altar. When burning
silk and paper money, the chief priest
should offer a glass of wine in front of the
god, and then the priest will send it to the
place where the silk is burned, and pour the
wine on it to show the piety of the sacrificer
in offering the money and silk.
During the ceremony, gongs, drums or
string accompaniments were played
several times to add a warm atmosphere
to the ceremony. After the ceremony,
the pork, mutton and other sacrifices
are distributed to the representatives
Shibi Hakka ancestral temple
19
FUNERAL HERITAGE REPORT 2024
participating in the ceremony. Some
sacrifices were also used to entertain the
participants, and only a few sacrifices
were given to the squires, elders, etc.
Cultural Characteristics
Several major migrations of northerners
to the south in Chinese history formed
a unique Hakka ethnic group of the
Chinese nation. The Hakka people who
migrated to the south all used Ninghua
as a gathering place, so it is called the
“Hakka ancestral land” at home and
abroad, and is regarded as the “Hakka
cradle” and “Hakka pilgrimage center”.
The custom of worshiping ancestors
(Shibi Hakka custom of worshiping
ancestors) is an important part of Hakka
culture. It is based on the Hakkas’ belief
in ancestor worship and tracing their
roots. It uses traditional sacrificial rituals
to satisfy wanderers’ desire to trace their
past. It shows the brilliance of China,
a country of ancient civilization and
etiquette.
Inheritance Protection
The Hakka people have the traditional
virtues of loving their country and their
hometown, being cautious and remember
the predecessors, and respecting their
ancestors. The ancestor worship activities
at the Shibi Hakka ancestral land are
based on the Hakka people’s belief in their
ancestors, worship and tracing their roots.
They uses traditional sacrificial rituals to
satisfy wanderers’ desire to trace their past.
It shows the brilliance of China, a country
of ancient civilization and etiquette. The
custom of worshiping ancestors (custom
of worshiping ancestors of Hakkas in
Shibi) shows the unique folk customs of
the Hakkas, and also expresses the sincere
heart of millions of Hakka descendants to
love their homeland and pay respect to their
ancestors. Customs of worshiping ancestors
(custom of worshiping ancestors of Hakkas
in Shibi) is an important part of Hakka
culture. It showing the great significance
for inheriting Chinese civilization and
condensing the national spirit and also has
academic research value.
After the reform and opening up, the
number of groups coming to participate in
the “Hakka Ancestor Worship Ceremony”
from all over Taiwan has continued to
increase, which has deepened the blood
ties of the Hakka compatriots on both
sides of the Taiwan Strait and enhanced
the communication and unity among
clans. The custom of Shibi Hakka ancestor
worship has helped for the early realization
of the goal of peaceful reunification of the
motherland.
Social Impact
The
successive
ancestral
worship
ceremonies of the World Hakka Shibi
Ancestral Land have all been held in
Ninghua, it has been continuously held
for 26 sessions since the first ancestral
worship ceremony of the World Hakka Shibi
Ancestral Land being held in 1995 after the
completion of the Shibi Hakka Temple. The
annual ancestral worship ceremony of the
World Hakka Shibi Ancestral Land is the
grandest ancestral worship ceremony in
Ninghua. The ancestral worship ceremony
of the Wolrd Hakka Shibi Ancestral Land
is a pageant that inherits the excellence
of the Chinese culture and demonstrates
the Hakka spirit, a pageant that talks
about the Hakka Nostalgia in length and
promotes good-neighborliness between
fellow Hakkas, a pageant for interchanging
Hakka culture and conducting economic
and trade cooperations, which expanded
the Hakka ancestral land’s influence of
Sanming and Ninghua.
20
P.R OF CHINA