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Chinese funeral costing US$1.5 million with heavy drinking and fireworks display sparks debate on value of lavish ceremonies
- The funeral featured fireworks, a grand meal and expensive alcohol and cigarettes
- A debate ensued online about whether it was the proper way to spend money
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Lavish funerals are an important part of rural Chinese culture, but one ceremony in northwest China costing over 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million) has raised the question as to whether the age-old custom is suitable for modern times.
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To honour a dead elder, an unnamed family in Yulin, Shaanxi province, held a grand funeral complete with fireworks, a superb feast, bottles of the famous Mao-tai baijiu and even Chunghwa cigarettes, a brand famous for being enjoyed by Mao Zedong.
“The funeral was well arranged, but it did not cost as much as the rumour,” said one villager, who remained anonymous, in an interview with the Chinese news outlet Jimu News.
The villager added: “The son of the late father owns a farmer’s market in the capital city of the province, so he is capable of paying the bill for such a splendid funeral ceremony.”
A video of the funeral received a lot of attention, with people mixed between being jealous they could not attend and those who argued about the value of these traditions.
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