Celebrating Ancestors

The Falling Leaves by Daisy Chui

Within the Southern Cemetery in Chorlton-cum-hardy lie many small groups of burial ground for different religion and culture. Of those groups, most importantly for us, there is the Chinese section, a plot of land where Chinese people can be buried together. In the mostly Chinese Buddhist/Taoist culture of China, people believe that when they pass away, their souls will journey back to their roots where they originate. Chinese in general have a very strong sense of togetherness, not just in the number that we come in but also in the way we live; from sharing dim sum in Chinese tea houses (instead of having one plate of food to yourself) to spending time with our families. Almost all the festive celebrations we do from Chinese New Year to Winter Solstice are arranged into a family gathering with lots of food and people sharing stories about their past. Even in the distant land of Manchester, we still share the events in which we retain our traditions; we still have that special connection as soon as we enter a Chinese restaurant, a buzz to see all the same blood gathered, speaking in the same language, eating and sharing the same food with friends and family. These little things bond us together whether they are friends we know or strangers of the same race.

Home Roots

Where your ancestors originate, the place of birth and places you have lived; all helps to define who you are, but not necessarily into your true home. Home should be somewhere that your heart feels you belong to, where you have made your most memorable memories, a true place of comfort where you fit in. From this train of thought, during the hard times of war, when many people migrated here to find a new life, many people never returned to their motherland, China when they passed away as they decided here was their true home. However, as our belief is that the soul should return to our roots even if our bodies cannot, the dilemma to maintain harmony in ones that have passed on have been kept with having their burials in as much the same way as they would do in the tradition homeland.

The Afterlife and Burials

. Traditionally, China was a vast place of earth; burial graves were able to spread over the hills in multiple levels in much the same way the western cemeteries are on flat land. On the other hand, overtime of development, in cities like Hong Kong such was not possible or as effective in providing the once lived the togetherness that they deserved as the land was limited.

Modern columbarium burial grounds are almost as much familiar to them as the apartments they once lived in, in blocks of little compartments inside Buddhist temples where cremated ashes in cinerary urns are sealed behind their inscribed names, ancestral roots and photographic tombstones. Often relatives would reserve compartments around their loved ones prior to death to ensure family especially married couples whom are often kept in one joint compartment are kept together surrounded by their neighbouring loved ones.

As feng shui is considered as an importance aspect our culture, these burial ground are well built with nice rural views of hills and greenery, kept by monks who would be like their household caretakers to give them fresh Chinese incense daily as a way to purify souls and their surroundings to bring them closer to the Buddha.

Ching Ming () and Chung Yeung ()

There are many festivals to commemorate the dead, as we strongly believe the souls of our ancestors will look after us. Most importantly are Ching Ming around the 5th April and Cheung Yeung around 9th day of the ninth Luna month, where we visit to clean and clear the tombstones. Fresh fruits and favourite dishes are brought to the burial blocks. Often paper objects and paper money are burnt as offerings for safe passage to the other side and reincarnation. Paying respect to our ancestors allow us to believe that after death, another life awaits where new friends are made and families will be able to join them.

Wherever we are when we die, the place we choose to build our lives and family is the true home, even if the heart belongs in the motherland, being able to keep the same culture and traditions as we would practice in China here, will allow the spirit of togetherness to stay strong with our families.

Manchester Southern Cemetery

Many Chinese immigrations never returned home in glory as planned. Instead they ended their days in faraway land.

Having the Chinese burial ground in Manchester Southern Cemetery, helps to maintain some of those traditions to keep loved ones gone at peace, even if they cannot have the apartment homes or the scenery feng shui. Their tombstone will still be engraved in Chinese with their name, the origins of their roots for their self-righteousness in being Chinese and the photograph of themselves. Families still reserve graves together to ensure they can be group together as well. Allowing us to visit those parted and feel the closeness of other families when they visit their loved ones on occasions like Ching Ming and Chung Yeung keeps us together; one strong community in another country however far they maybe from their motherland.

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