In this ancient and magical land of China, funeral customs are an important part of folk culture. It is not only a ceremony, but also a respect for the deceased and a remembrance of life. Since time immemorial, people have mourned and commemorated the deceased, and these methods have evolved over time into the funeral customs we know today.
The diversity of funeral customs depends largely on regional and ethnic differences. In the vast land of China, different places have their own unique funeral cultures. In the North, for example, people may choose to hold a funeral on the third day after the death of the deceased, while in the South, the time may be different. For example, some ethnic groups may have special funeral rituals, such as Tibetan sky burials, Miao cave burials, etc., which are a kind of respect for the cycle of life and the laws of nature.
Mortuary is a very important part of funeral customs. After the deceased's death, the family will place the body in the mourning hall at home for relatives and friends to come to pay their respects. During this process, the family will put on new clothes and tidy up the deceased to show respect for the deceased. At the same time, some items that the deceased liked during his lifetime, such as photos and books, will also be placed to express the nostalgia of the deceased.
A funeral report is to notify relatives and friends of the deceased's death. During this process, family members will pass on the message to relatives and friends through various means, such as phone calls, letters, etc., and invite them to attend the funeral. The way to report a funeral also varies by region and ethnicity, and some places may have a dedicated mourner who is responsible for delivering the message to each family and friend.
Conjuring and sending souls are spiritual sustenance in funeral customs. Spiritualism refers to the fact that after the death of the deceased, the family members hope to recall the soul of the deceased through certain rituals and let them stay in the world for a longer period of time. In the final stage of the funeral, the soul of the deceased is sent to another world through a series of rituals, hoping that they can rest in peace there.
These ceremonies are not only a memorial to the deceased, but also a reflection on the meaning of life. They teach us that life is short, but love and memory are eternal. Through these funeral customs, we can not only express our grief for the deceased, but also feel the value and meaning of life.
With the development of society and the change of people's concepts, some traditional funeral customs are gradually changing. For example, more and more people are now choosing environmentally friendly funeral methods, such as tree burial, sea burial, etc., which are an innovation and development of traditional funeral customs. But no matter how the form changes, the respect for the deceased and the reverence for life carried by funeral customs remain the same.
In recent years, with the development of society and the change of people's concepts, China's funeral customs have also ushered in a profound reform. At the heart of this reform is the simplification of funeral customs and the rectification of cultural chaos that is inconsistent with the values of modern society. However, the road to reform has not been smooth sailing, and it faces challenges from many aspects, including socio-economic, political, ideological, and human sophistication.
First of all, social and economic development has brought about the improvement of people's living standards, but it has also brought about changes in consumption concepts. In some areas, funeral customs have evolved into a way to show wealth and status, and lavish funeral ceremonies and expensive cemeteries have become objects of comparison for some. This phenomenon not only increases the financial burden of ordinary families, but also runs counter to the original intention of funeral customs. Therefore, the first step of reform is to guide people to establish a correct concept of funeral and advocate frugal and environmentally friendly funeral methods.
Political factors also influenced the reform of funeral customs to a certain extent. In some places, funeral customs are closely linked to the local political ecology for historical and cultural reasons. Reform may touch the interests of some people and even lead to social contradictions. This requires the government to uphold principles and give full consideration to local realities when carrying out reforms, and to adopt flexible and diverse measures to ensure the smooth progress of reforms.
Ideological challenges should not be ignored either. In the minds of some people, traditional funeral customs are an important part of Chinese culture and are unshakable. They are resistant to the idea that reform is a destruction of traditional culture. This requires us to strengthen the protection and inheritance of traditional culture while carrying out reform, so that reform and the protection of traditional culture complement each other.
The challenges of human sophistication are more subtle. In a society like China, where human feelings are valued, funeral customs are often closely linked to interpersonal relationships. Some people may be reluctant to simplify the funeral ceremony because of the concern of face, and they are worried about being misunderstood by family and friends. This requires us to pay attention to ways and means when carrying out reforms, to respect individual choices, and to guide people to establish correct values.
In general, the reform of funeral customs is a complex and systematic project, which requires the joint efforts of the government, society and individuals. Only by fully considering all factors and taking scientific and reasonable measures can the reform achieve practical results and make the funeral customs more in line with the development needs of modern society. At the same time, we must also realize that reform is a gradual process that requires time and patience. Only in this way can we promote the healthy development of funeral customs while respecting traditions.
In China, there are indeed many superstitious elements in funeral customs, and these superstitious elements are often regarded as a tradition, rather than simply good and bad. They are deeply rooted in folk beliefs and cultural traditions and are intimately linked to people's daily lives.
For example, it is widely believed that the soul of the deceased survives after death and is capable of influencing the lives of the living. Therefore, during the funeral process, various rituals are performed to appease the soul of the deceased in the hope that they will be able to rest in peace in the other world. For example, in some places, "spiritualism" rituals are held, believing that this will guide the soul of the deceased back to the body and complete the final farewell. In other places, there are "soul send-off" rituals, which send the souls of the deceased to what they consider to be a resting place through specific rituals and routes.
It is also believed that numbers, colors, and directions have a certain symbolic meaning. For example, white is a common color in funerals because it symbolizes purity and mourning; Whereas, black is considered unlucky. In the choice of funeral dates, people will avoid using the number "four" because it is homophonic with "death" and is considered unlucky. On the contrary, "eight" is considered auspicious because it is homophonic with "fat".
In addition, there are some places where there are special funeral customs, such as "wake", "crying and mourning", etc. A wake, in which family members are to watch over the body of the deceased for a period of time after the death of the deceased, as a sign of respect and remembrance for the deceased. Mourning is to express mourning for the deceased through crying, and it is also to drive away evil spirits and protect the living.
However, with the development of society and the popularization of scientific knowledge, more and more people have begun to reflect on these superstitious factors. They believe that while these superstitious factors reflect people's respect and nostalgia for the deceased to a certain extent, excessive superstition can also lead to waste of resources and environmental damage. For example, funeral ceremonies in some places are too cumbersome, which not only consumes a lot of manpower and material resources, but also may cause pollution to the environment.
Therefore, how to get rid of those superstitious elements that are out of place while respecting tradition has become a question worth considering. This requires us not only to protect and inherit traditional culture, but also to keep pace with the times, and to examine and improve funeral customs with a scientific attitude. Only in this way can we respect the deceased, protect the rights and interests of the living, and achieve the healthy development of funeral customs.
The movie "The First Seven" can be said to be a masterpiece full of Hong Kong flavor. Directed by the talented director Yau Lai-to, it unfolds a fascinating story based on Hong Kong's unique funeral custom of "The First Seven".
The term "first seven" is not unfamiliar to those who are familiar with traditional Chinese funeral customs. It is the seventh day after the death of the deceased, and the family performs a series of ceremonies to honor the deceased and hope that their souls will rest in peace. And this movie is around this custom, showing two completely different life stories through the perspectives of two ordinary people.
The taxi driver, "Map King", is an authentic Hong Kong man whose life is ordinary and monotonous. Every day, he shuttles through the busy streets of Hong Kong, carrying all kinds of passengers, listening to their stories, but few people know his inner world. In the movie, the "Map King" accidentally indirectly encounters a special passenger - a lady who has just lost a loved one. On the way to her destination, the conversation between the two gradually deepens, and the "Map King" begins to understand the grief in the lady's heart and the longing for the deceased.
And the truck driver, Pony, is the protagonist of another story. His life is full of twists and turns and challenges, and he is running for a livelihood every day. By chance, Pony learns a secret about the "First Seven", which is closely connected to his own life. As the story progresses, Pony explores the deeper meaning behind the secret and uncovers some of the truths inside herself.
Through the dialogues and experiences of the two characters, the "Map King" and Pony, the film shows the diversity and complexity of Hong Kong society. It is not only a discussion of funeral customs, but also a deep reflection on human nature, life and death. Under the lens of director Qiu Litao, these two stories are intertwined to form a colorful social picture.
The film "The First Seven", with its unique narrative technique and profound theme, has won unanimous praise from audiences and critics. It not only shows the charm of Hong Kong cinema, but also provokes people to think about life, death and traditional culture. In this fast-paced modern society, we may be able to find some answers about life from this movie and feel the extraordinary in those ordinary lives.
The narrative structure of the movie "The First Seven" can be said to be unique. It skillfully interweaves two different versions of the "First Seven" story together to form a unique narrative style. This structure not only adds to the layering of the film, but also allows the audience to constantly shuttle between reality and fiction in the process of watching, experiencing an unprecedented viewing experience.
In the movie, the first version of the "First Seven" story is about the funeral rites of an ordinary family. The members of the family, in accordance with traditional customs, held a series of ceremonies to commemorate the deceased loved ones. However, as the ritual progresses, some strange phenomena begin to occur, making one wonder if this is a real occurrence or a fictional imagination. This narrative technique, which blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, allows the audience to feel the traditional funeral customs while also thinking about the boundaries between reality and fiction.
The second version of the "First Seven" story is a story about the paranormal. In this story, the protagonists encounter a series of strange events that seem to be related to the "First Seven", but seem to be beyond common sense. This supernatural element adds a mysterious and terrifying atmosphere to the film, while also giving the audience a deeper understanding of the custom of "the first seven".
The style of the film is gloomy overall, a style that fits well with the film's themes – funerary customs and the paranormal. However, despite the gloomy style, director Qiu Litao conveys a combination of warmth and horror through a wonderful story and sound effects. In the film, we can see that even in the face of death and the supernatural, people still maintain respect for life and nostalgia for the deceased. This kind of warmth is in stark contrast to the horror elements in the movie, and it also makes the audience feel a kind of human warmth while being nervous and afraid.
In general, the narrative structure and theme of the film "The First Seven" reflect the director's deep understanding of traditional culture and human nature. Through two different versions of the "First Seven" story, the film not only explores the boundaries between truth and fiction, but also shows the complexity of human nature in the face of death and the paranormal. This deep theme, combined with a great narrative and sound effects, makes "The First Seven" a movie worth watching.