One of the things we noticed while traveling on the highway – aside from the fact that there are no scooters there – was that there were these little houses dotting the countryside in various places.
Turns out, those are tombs or mausoleums. Some were quite ornate structures, and the tended to be built on little islands in the fields or in the yard near the houses.
Our guide explained that because this was largely a rural area and it was difficult to travel, the custom was to bury the dead on their land. In this way, those nearest to them could participate in the funeral without having to travel.
The body is interred for 3 to 5 years, after which it is exhumed and the bones are cleaned, put into a fresh “permanent” box and then placed in the tombs that we saw. Apparently cleaning the bodies is a task that falls to the family and local religious leaders. He told about doing this for his grandfather who died about 7 years earlier.
The other reason for having the tombs near the family home is that they believe that the ancestors watch over them and come to visit at certain times of the year – such as the Tet Holiday, or Chinese New Year. In anticipation of that day, the grave sites will be cleaned and fresh flowers set out in anticipation of the visit.
It’s a different cultural perspective. While most of us love our parents and grandparents, once they are gone we’d just as soon they stayed planted and not drop by for dinner, holiday or not!
In the local community by the river the tombs were right next to the house -- easy peasy to keep it clean and tidy I suppose.
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