The younger generations of the H'mong ethnic minority in Thanh Hoa Province have recently started turning away from their ancestors' burial traditions.
A coffin recently used in a H’mong funeral
Funeral ceremonies are of great significance in H’mong communities. They believe that if proper attention is not paid to funeral rites it could bring bad luck to the family or even the entire neighborhood.
Traditionally the deceased is kept in the home for up to seven days before burial. However, as the recent funeral of one villager has shown, some families are beginning to deviate from this custom.
Lau Minh Po, from the Pha Den Highlands Village of Pu Nhi Commune, said “When a person dies, their family makes notifies the community by firing four to six gunshots for females or seven to nine for males. Burial is not in a common cemetery, but usually someplace close to the house."
Po added that villagers have a tradition of killing as many animals as possible for the funeral banquet in order to show their love and respect for the deceased. This tradition can often be burdensome to poor families.
Lau Chu Do’s funeral differed from others in the community
"When the deceased is kept in the house they are not put in a coffin, but instead on a sort of stretcher that is hung near the ceiling for three to seven days, and in some cases longer," he added.
These customs have recently been challenged by young people from the village who have studied or worked outside their villages, as exemplified by the funeral of Lau Chu Do, whose body was kept in a coffin.
The funeral ceremony attracted the participation of many people in the community. Many families have followed suit.
Luong Minh Thong, Secretary of Muong Lat District Party Committee, said, “The change in the burial service is a result of young H’mong ethnic people’s ideas.”
