Home » Opinion » Chinese Views
Surge in wealth fuels showy tomb building
By Wu Guangqiang |
March 2, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE residue of feudal ideology has never died away with the demise of feudalism itself in China.
To some degrees, the augmentation of wealth has fueled the resurgence and flourishing of some offensive customs.
Of all the undesirable habits, however, nothing is more disgusting than building a tomb for a living person.
Zhou Yongjun, a property developer in Huangpi district of Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province, shot to notoriety overnight after it was revealed on February 26 that he had built a sumptuous tomb for his father, who is still alive.
The personal monument, completed late last month, covered nearly one mu (0.067 hectare) and featured a 6-meter-tall gateway of granite. The tomb itself was decorated with fine white marble carved into relief sculpture.
The plush resting place has been the target of public bashing for its owner's ostentatious exhibition of his wealth and status. The construction is also a blatant violation of the state's regulations on funeral and burial practices - for example, it encroaches upon arable land.
Despite some local officials' attempt to justify the construction, overwhelming public opinion eventually forced authorities to dismantle the structure on February 27.
Once again, it was not until public exposure of such a flaunting of wealth - a turnoff to the public - that local authorities visited the site to "verify" that this tomb was an illegal construction.
Bizarre obsession
Building tombs while the owners were still alive was nothing unusual in ancient societies, since the owners had to prepare everything they would need in the afterlife. We can be overcritical of the practices of scientifically backward ages.
But, it is a mystery to me why some contemporary Chinese, the haves and dignitaries in particular, are so obsessed with the other world and an afterlife, while they do not seem to cherish this life.
They may have a variety of reasons. Some long to leave their name in history. In 2005, Feng Guoliang, retired chief of the People's Congress of a small county in Chongqing, built his own tomb when he was only in his late fifties.
The tombstone bore an inscribed couplet praising his "great achievements" while he was in office. The couplet said, in effect, "His lofty conduct and fine virtue will remain immortal; his competence and integrity will be remembered forever."
Such shameless candor is really impressive!
Some try to salve their conscience over illegal or immoral acts by paving a gateway to the other world where, they hope, to avoid punishment for their sins. They assume a grand tomb would erase all their wrongdoings so they could have a peaceful afterlife.
More often, contemporary tomb builders spend a large sum on monuments simply because they are showing off their wealth or following old practices. In many rural communities, building tombs for the living has been a widespread custom.
In Zhou Yongjun's case, while he has been unavailable for comment, the likely reason is to showcase his huge fortune and his filial piety.
Whatever the reason, such a folly is a retrograde move against the advancement of the times and a stain on a civilized society like China.
The case reminds us that even in this modern age of the computer and the Internet, the eradication of feudal influences in China is still an arduous challenge.
To eliminate the malady, obviously it is necessary to enforce existing laws and regulations, but it is also vital to curb the gross excesses of the rich and powerful. Their examples count.
(The author is a freelancer based in Shenzhen City.)
To some degrees, the augmentation of wealth has fueled the resurgence and flourishing of some offensive customs.
Of all the undesirable habits, however, nothing is more disgusting than building a tomb for a living person.
Zhou Yongjun, a property developer in Huangpi district of Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province, shot to notoriety overnight after it was revealed on February 26 that he had built a sumptuous tomb for his father, who is still alive.
The personal monument, completed late last month, covered nearly one mu (0.067 hectare) and featured a 6-meter-tall gateway of granite. The tomb itself was decorated with fine white marble carved into relief sculpture.
The plush resting place has been the target of public bashing for its owner's ostentatious exhibition of his wealth and status. The construction is also a blatant violation of the state's regulations on funeral and burial practices - for example, it encroaches upon arable land.
Despite some local officials' attempt to justify the construction, overwhelming public opinion eventually forced authorities to dismantle the structure on February 27.
Once again, it was not until public exposure of such a flaunting of wealth - a turnoff to the public - that local authorities visited the site to "verify" that this tomb was an illegal construction.
Bizarre obsession
Building tombs while the owners were still alive was nothing unusual in ancient societies, since the owners had to prepare everything they would need in the afterlife. We can be overcritical of the practices of scientifically backward ages.
But, it is a mystery to me why some contemporary Chinese, the haves and dignitaries in particular, are so obsessed with the other world and an afterlife, while they do not seem to cherish this life.
They may have a variety of reasons. Some long to leave their name in history. In 2005, Feng Guoliang, retired chief of the People's Congress of a small county in Chongqing, built his own tomb when he was only in his late fifties.
The tombstone bore an inscribed couplet praising his "great achievements" while he was in office. The couplet said, in effect, "His lofty conduct and fine virtue will remain immortal; his competence and integrity will be remembered forever."
Such shameless candor is really impressive!
Some try to salve their conscience over illegal or immoral acts by paving a gateway to the other world where, they hope, to avoid punishment for their sins. They assume a grand tomb would erase all their wrongdoings so they could have a peaceful afterlife.
More often, contemporary tomb builders spend a large sum on monuments simply because they are showing off their wealth or following old practices. In many rural communities, building tombs for the living has been a widespread custom.
In Zhou Yongjun's case, while he has been unavailable for comment, the likely reason is to showcase his huge fortune and his filial piety.
Whatever the reason, such a folly is a retrograde move against the advancement of the times and a stain on a civilized society like China.
The case reminds us that even in this modern age of the computer and the Internet, the eradication of feudal influences in China is still an arduous challenge.
To eliminate the malady, obviously it is necessary to enforce existing laws and regulations, but it is also vital to curb the gross excesses of the rich and powerful. Their examples count.
(The author is a freelancer based in Shenzhen City.)
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