| This image gives you a good idea how this differs from a western cemetary.
Each tomb is an oval-shaped concrete structure, with a flat tiled area
in front of the shrine and burial mound. The exact location and direction
of each plot is chosen with great care by the family. At first glance, the area looks almost like a minature golf course, especially because it is not neatly organized in rows. You can clearly see the tombs which have already been cleaned and covered with fresh sod. |
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| Here you can see the food offerings that are brought for the spirits of the relatives. This often includes particular dishes or drinks that the person liked. I watched one of Jenny's cousins light a cigarette and leave it on his father's tomb, with a cup of beer. The small yellow tickets are "markers" that are left to let the spirits know that you have visited. |  |
| Most of the tombs are very similar, though they may be more or less ornate. They usually contain a small house on the side of the front courtyard, which houses the animal spirits that guard the site. |  |
| There is also usually a fire pit outside the tomb, for the burning of ghost
money. This is a very common part of Chinese ceremonies- it is seen not
only at temples and funerals, but also on street corners and in front of
businesses for various occasions. The course yellow money comes in many sizes and is bought in large bricks. Before adding it to the fire, it is "counted out"- I have heard that this tradition serves both to verify to the spirits that it isn't counterfeit, and also to help it ignite. |
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| Fire figures heavily in this day, because it is also used to clear a lot of the wild brush. We came home completely saturated with smoke. And of course, then we ate! |  |