In rural areas, mourning seems to have become a way to show off filial piety. In order to show their filial piety, children often hold lively funerals for their parents. However, this culture has changed to the point that many children do not take good care of their parents during their lifetimes, but hold a grand funeral for them after their deaths.
This phenomenon is not accidental and exists in many rural areas. I experienced it firsthand: in the middle of last month, my mother's 80-year-old uncle passed away. According to local customs, our relatives need to come back to pay their respects. I thought it was just a simple lunch, but in fact, the funeral was very lively and cumbersome, and lasted for 7 days.
During these seven days, I witnessed many people working hard to prepare for the funeral, and some even came specifically to eat. Hundreds of people come to help and mourn every day, and the host family is required to provide food, drinks, cigarettes and other items, and to pay those who come to help. In addition, there are some additional expenses, such as hiring opera troupes, monks and nuns, and so on.
This is a significant expense for the main family. However, this culture of lavish funerals is not a good thing. As a result, many families have been burdened with a heavy financial burden and have even had to borrow or sell their property. Moreover, this culture can also lead to unrealistic standards of filial piety, making people focus too much on form and neglect substance.