Dealing With Death

dealing-with-death

A Dying Business? Funeral Goods Stores Feel the Pinch

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Efforts to ban “superstitious” products and changing traditions have put pressure on traders in a northern Chinese village famed for its funeral and memorial supplies.

Fir  Record

Last Stop: Looking Past the Stigma Facing China’s Morticians

A long-serving mortuary technician in Shanghai explains the tough conditions he faces in the workplace and the societal prejudices that persist against his profession.

Shanghai Observer

The Missing Driver: How a Tragedy Sparks Kindness Across China

When Zou Chengjun’s life couldn’t have been any worse after a scooter mishap, a viral video of his story ignited an overwhelming wave of support from strangers nationwide.

Bingdian Weekly 

Fighting ALS: Former JD.com VP in Race Against Time

Cai Lei, the former vice president of e-commerce giant JD.com, has strived to raise awareness and funding to support research into treating the fatal disease.

Young Chinese Shrug Off Stigma to Work as Morticians

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

The web series “Song of Life” has given visibility to the personal and professional lives of those in the funeral service sector.

Ye Zhanhang

Shenzhen Passes Landmark Law on Safeguarding End-of-Life Decision 

Local authorities say health care professionals should respect the will of people in the final stages of incurable diseases or at the end of their life.

On Qingming, Remembering the Dead During a Difficult Time

With cemeteries still shut amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many in China are unable to visit the graves of their ancestors.

Zhang Wanqing

Resting in the Deep

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

China’s funeral rites are undergoing a sea change.

Fu Danni

Fear of Dying Alone Spurs Seniors to Plan Own Funerals

Pre-planned burials slowly catch on as Chinese elderly accept the inevitable.

Wang Lianzhang

Dealing With Death, China’s Biggest Taboo

Organizations prepare terminally ill patients and their families for the inevitable.