Young Taoist Master

In the southwestern region, funeral officiants are also known as Daoist masters.

When someone dies, rich or poor, people invite them to perform rituals, choose a burial date, and find a gravesite with good feng shui. They also do many other things in their daily work, including driving away evil spirits, conducting ceremonies, and even glimpsing the secrets of fate.

Why does the path-clearing boy set off firecrackers during a funeral procession? What do the black and white strips of cloth in a Daoist master's hands mean? Why is the coffin raised on benches before it is buried? And more.

My name is Lingzi, and I am the twenty-seventh-generation Daoist master of my family. Let me show you the strange and fascinating world of funerals.