A cultural sociological review of Chinese funeral rituals

This chapter provides a review of the theoretical underpinnings regarding rituals; a discussion of the significance of Chinese funeral rituals; and, an examination of the dynamics of the current social forces shaping the sacred funeral rituals, with a specific focus on Hong Kong. Despite being grouped under "Chinese" and in the umbrella of the three major religions of China – Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism – specific funeral rituals actually differ depending on location, giving rise to the dilemma of orthopraxy versus orthodoxy. With major developments in economy, politics, and social structure since the arrival of the British in 1841, Hong Kong has become a fruitful location for the study of social change and its impacts on Chinese funeral rituals in terms of colonization, urbanization, modernization, and the concerns of ecologically sustainable development. Variation and transformation exist in Chinese funeral rituals, considering the massive size and population of China and the large number of Chinese living abroad.