BEIJING: A Mercedes-Benz was buried as a funerary offering in a village in northeastern China, igniting public outrage over legal violations and environmental safety.
A viral video shows some villagers in Liaoyang, Liaoning province, attending the funeral of a septuagenarian on April 9.
Sources told the mainland media that the dead person was an avid collector of luxury cars, prompting his children to bury a real vehicle to ensure his soul’s peaceful passage.
The car, a black Mercedes-Benz S450L valued at around 1.1 million yuan (US$161,000), bore the number plate “8888,” a number synonymous with wealth.
Plates featuring four identical digits are considered auspicious and can fetch up to 250,000 yuan (US$37,000) locally.
The clip showed an excavator lifting the car next to the newly erected tombstone. A red cloth draped the vehicle, and red ribbons were tied to the side mirrors.
Dozens of villagers then helped push it into the grave, some even grabbing shovels to cover it with soil.
According to mainland media outlet Xin Huanghe, a male family member later thanked the villagers at a banquet, handing out 500-yuan (US$70) red envelopes to each helper.
The family offered no explanation for bypassing traditional paper offerings.
Chinese funeral customs see paper replicas of cars, houses, and appliances burned to ensure the dead a comfortable afterlife.
Some netizens accused the family of flaunting their wealth, while relatives defended the act as a gesture of grief and filial devotion.
Others warned that burying an untreated car could seriously contaminate soil and groundwater and potentially breach land-use regulations.
Wang Peng, a lawyer at Beijing Fahuan Law Firm, told the mainland media that failing to complete proper scrapping procedures could invite administrative penalties, even though the car was privately owned.
“If the number plate is forged, those involved may also face administrative detention,” he added.
The next day, the authorities stepped in.
The local civil affairs bureau posted that the family, surnamed Jin, had been reprimanded for illegally burying the car due to feudal superstition.
Jin issued a public apology and may reportedly face fines, in addition to covering the costs of excavation, site clearance and ecological restoration.
The story caused a buzz on mainland social media, with related posts garnering over 30 million views.
One netizen said: “This is ridiculous. They only care about the afterlife but ignore the pollution they cause in the world of the living.”
“Showing love to your family while they are alive is far more meaningful than this symbolic gesture,” said another.
“Rich people with this kind of cluelessness are a real problem for the world. The authorities should also check if they have broken any other laws, like dodging taxes,” added a third. - South China Morning Post
