A Brief History of Chinese Funeral Customs

This book was distilled, condensed, and edited from the eight-volume History of Chinese Funerary Practices. Divided into six chapters, it covers a wide range of topics, including funerary beliefs, funerary culture and technology, funerary systems, rituals and customs, burial objects and grave goods, and tombs and their forms. It spans eight major historical periods: the Pre-Qin era, the Qin and Han dynasties, the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Sui and Tang dynasties and the Five Dynasties, the Song dynasty, the Liao, Xia, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the Republic of China. This work offers a comprehensive and objective overview of the history of funerary practices in China. Combining documentary sources with archaeological evidence, it is both scientific and systematic, while remaining accessible to a general readership.