The people of Ancient China believed that the afterlife was a continuation of the present one. They believed that their ancestors sacrificed things so that future generations had good lives. If they sacrificed, for their children while they were alive, this would please the ancestors and they would live forever. The living showed proper respect to the dead as it was believed that the dead were capable of affecting the lives of those living, for the better, or worse.
When people died they would buried with items that they would need for the next life or to make them comfortable. The wealthier people were often buried with more valuable things. For the very important people, pottery figures were placed in the coffin which represented their servants and attendants.
For the burial, the family would announce the death to the community. They would wear mourning clothes made from white cloth and hemp. The corpse would be bathed and offerings such as food and material possessions would be burned to honour them. The richer were wrapped in silk and the poorer in cotton.
Often money would be given to the priest so that they would pray for the soul to travel safely to the next life. The body would be taken from the place of death, through the town, in a procession, to the burial site. Music would play as a way to calm the dead person's spirit. The corpse would be sealed in a coffin.
Often money would be given to the priest so that they would pray for the soul to travel safely to the next life. The body would be taken from the place of death, through the town, in a procession, to the burial site. Music would play as a way to calm the dead person's spirit. The corpse would be sealed in a coffin.