Dozens of internet users in China turned up for the funeral of a 90-year-old grandmother after her granddaughter made an online plea for attendees.
“My grandma passed away. It is a blessing funeral. Can you come to see her off?” the woman said in a post which went viral on the evening of December 22.
A blessing funeral, or xi sang in Chinese, refers to proceedings after the death of a person aged 80 or above.
According to traditional beliefs, if a person dies at a rather old age, it means his or her life has been filled with happiness and prosperity, leaving no regret. Therefore, the family should hold a festive funeral.
Details of the grandmother’s death have not been released, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported.
The granddaughter said she was raised by her introverted grandmother who had few friends in Harbin, northeastern Heilongjiang province.
“If you come, you are my friend. I will reimburse your taxi fares and give you a gift,” she said.
“In future, if you need someone to run errands, like walking your dog, I will definitely help as long as I am available,” she added.
Her name is not disclosed in the report.
The woman said the funeral would be held at Donghuayuan Centre, from 8.30am to 10.30am on December 23. People taking part only needed to bow before her grandmother.
The woman said she could treat them to lunch if they had time. If they needed to rush to work, she would compensate them with consumption coupons.
A local resident, surnamed Yan, agreed to go to the funeral when he saw the woman’s post because he felt sympathy for her.
“She is so helpless. I imagine that if I am in her situation one day, I would also hope some people could come to help me,” he told the media.
It snowed heavily the next morning and Yan said it took him 40 minutes to arrive at the funeral venue by taxi, more than twice the normal travelling time of 18 minutes.
Yan said more than 30 people had turned up, with others on their way who were held up by a traffic jam caused by the snow.
“Snow flies in the sky. It is a metaphor that heaven is sending farewell to the grandma. She is so honoured,” Yan said to comfort the granddaughter.
A tourist known as Ye, from southeastern Zhejiang province, arrived late and was only able to take part in the cremation ceremony.
“So many people assembled to say goodbye to the grandma. She must be happy,” Ye was quoted as saying.
When the granddaughter heard he had to travel for several more days, she offered him more consumption coupons.
“The enthusiasm of the northeastern people made me feel guilty because I did not do much,” said Ye.
Many people on mainland social media were captivated by the story, which has been viewed 130 million times on one social media platform alone.
“There is still sincerity and genuine love in this world,” one online observer said.
While another said: “I salute those who appeared at the funeral. Good job.” -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
