In Case it Rains in Heaven: An interview with Photographer, Kurt Tong

A traditional Chinese belief maintains that the dead need sustenance, shelter and money in their next existence, and it becomes the responsibility of the living to care for their needs.  Paper effigies of bank notes, food, clothing and personal items are burned with the belief that these items become real and can be used by our dead relatives.

The idea that the existence of the dead is very similar to that of the living, that they need food, clothing and shelter, must have a profound effect on how life and death are envisioned and lived out.  They effect the way we live just as a belief that the quality of our after life is determined by our adherence to certain beliefs ,the performance of certain actions in life, or the idea that in death we have no need for food or clothing does.

Photographer, Kurt Tong created a series of images depicting the various paper items currently  available to those who aim to provide for their dead.  This series has been on display in galleries across the world, and is documented in the book 'In Case it Rains in Heaven'.  Mr Tong has graciously agreed to share a conversation about his work on The Daily Undertaker.


Patrick McNally: Today, as you document in your photographs, paper effigies of cellphones, airplanes, designer athletic shoes, and fast food can be found along with more traditional items like joss money servants and houses.   You suggest that the practice of burning paper items may be a form of compensation for a life of hardship and depravation.  What do these high status effigies mean to those who burn them?

Kurt Tong: I can only speak for people of Hong Kong, even though it has been one of the richest city in the world, there is a huge amount of poverty in the city.   The government estimates that nearly 20% of the population live in poverty. People spend their lives living hand to mouth and in tiny apartments. The idea that they can have a mansion, and no more money worries was the driving force behind the traditional effigies; the houses, the money. However, as materialism takes hold of the younger generations and especially in mainland China, often the effigies might be things that they already have had when they were alive, and it’s becomes an extension of enjoying the high life after death. A couple of years ago, there was a businessman who bought a Bugatti veyron at 1.5 million dollars to be burned at his funeral. They had the engine taken out for safety reasons.

PM: Beyond the idea that the dead need sustenance shelter and amusement in the afterlife, items such as umbrellas and rifles,  along with your suggestion that items of value could be used to bribe the authorities, suggest an existence that can be perilous and unfair.  If this is what awaits us after death, what expectation do we have of fairness or safety in life?

KT: I only found out about the bribery aspect of the paper money when I was doing the project, I found that fascinating. It really reflects how bribery is part and parcel of the Chinese society. Let’s face it though, I don’t think life is fair in this life either, and people are rightly voicing their frustrations at the moment. I think bribery happens all over the world in one form or another. Maybe it’s not a wad of cash anymore but it’s still around.

PM: A common translation of the Christian Bible quotes the son of God saying “In my Father’s house there are many mansions (sometimes described as ‘rooms’), I go to prepare a place for you…”  In this light there is a very real similarity to the idea of the dead needing a place of comfort and shelter after death, even if it is provided for them by God.  Additionally, there is the practice in Christianity and especially in Catholicism of praying, petitioning and begging for the favorable treatment of the dead which mirrors in some ways the idea that the living are responsible for the care of their dead in the afterlife, and that authorities in the Christian version of the after life may be susceptible to the influence of the living.  How do you think beliefs such as these and in the Chinese tradition effect the relationship we have with our dead?

KT: From a personal point of view (being a non-religions person) the idea of being able to provide for your loved ones in the afterlife is the perfect extension of the grieving process. It’s comforting for the living to know/think that they can still do something after they died. During my research, I met people who talked of their late husbands coming to their dreams years after they have passed and asking for specific items. It empowers them in some way.

PM: Out of all of the many items available for purchase, what led you to select the items you wanted to photograph?

KT: I initially picked a ranged of items for my grandmother, people are quite sensitive and superstition about the Joss items, so I timed it so that all the items were burned and offered on the anniversary of her death. But then I figured the project should paint a cross section picture of what’s available and how that might represent the society of China, so I went back to get items such as the machine gun and the ipod.

PM: The photographs in this series have been exhibited in galleries across the UK and the States, and are featured in a book, In Case it Rains in Heaven from Kehrer Verlang Publishers.  What kind of reactions have you received from the public and from other artists?

KT: The response to the work has been amazing. On the surface, the project shows a traditional practice that is relatively unknown outside of China. People can take the light-hearted side and funny elements with them. I have also had people crying at the exhibitions, given the space and time, people tend to start thinking about their departed loved ones and what they might need in their afterlife.

PM: Have your thoughts about this practice changed through being involved in this project?

KT: I initially considered it just a superstitious practice but I now believe it’s a great tradition which makes the grieving process just that little bit easier.

PM: What role do you think the arts have to play in helping us come to terms with our inevitable deaths and the overwhelming  unknowns of what lies beyond?

KT: I think making work about death, in whatever form, enables people to talk about it more openly and ease some of the fears and uncertainty around it. 

PM: Thank you for sharing your work and your thoughts with us, Mr. Tong.  For more of Mr Tong's work, visit his website the book is available through Amazon and other retailers.   All images used in this post are the copyrighted property of Kurt Tong.


originally posted Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Funerals Rites in Chinatown

Floral pieces are delivered for a service in Chinatown

"The clear, melodic notes of a brass band marching along Chinatown's Stockton Avenue catch the attention of an Asian woman picking over produce at a sidewalk vegetable stand. As the band turns the corner at Clay Street to continue its march North up Grant Avenue, she and the storekeeper pause to look at a large floral-framed portrait propped up in the back of the vintage black Cadillac convertable that follows the band"-Lisa Sun Crowder 'Mortuary Practices in San Francisco Chinatown' http://www.saxlady.com/LindaCrowder.pdf

Last weekend, I took a busman's holiday in San Francisco, revisiting the ideas explored in my previous posts 'Green Street Mortuary Band' and 'You Can Take it with You'.

Joss Money is traditionally burnt for use in the afterlife

Flowers in one of the four chapels housed in the Green Street Mortuary

San Francisco's Chinatown has a rich heritage, a mix of old and new traditions that are continually revitalized by new immigrants and the influences of other cultures. One result of this mix is a unique set of funeral traditions. While there is no such thing as a standard funeral service, there are a set of particularly meaningful rituals that many in this community take part in.

I met with William K. Steiner, manager of The Green Street Mortuary last weekend, and he graciously shared some insights from his 32 years of providing funeral services for this community. Mr Steiner took me on a tour through this historic funeral home which once served primarily the Italian community in North Beach. The funeral home houses four chapels, each of which was prepared for a visitation and funeral.
Bright six foot floral easel sprays flanked the sides of each chapel, and in front of caskets that bore Chinese motifs, lay paper items for burning, altars bearing food and beverage offerings (a whole cooked hog's head and chicken, three cups of rice liquor, three cups of tea, and three sets of chopsticks), incense and paper 'passports' for travel to the afterlife, folded in the shape of a fan.
The smaller paper items such as joss money would be burnt in small grills inside the chapels (they are equipped with exhaust systems), the larger paper pieces, representing houses, cars, airplanes, suits of clothing, servants, and even washing machines, radios and rice cookers, would be burnt at the cemetery after the funerals.
The belief and tradition surrounding these paper items is that when burnt, they go to the deceased in the afterlife, where these items are needed just as much as they are here. Another tradition I witnessed was a silver coin, placed between the lips of the deceased to pay for passage to the next world. This recalled for me the ancient Greek custom of placing a coin the mouth of the deceased to pay passage across the river Styx.

For many years, Chinese immigrants were buried in America only for a few years, then, their remains were disinterred and sent back to China for burial with their ancestors. Today, with China's economic boom leading to expanding construction that threatens these burial grounds, the flow has stopped, and even reversed. Mr. Steiner's firm, SCI, handles a few shipments of remains coming from China for burial in the U.S., but no longer ships them to China.

Asked about cremation in the community he serves, Mr. Steiner told me while once unheard of, cremation has become more acceptable as a result of new immigrants having been required by the Chinese government to cremate their loved ones. Having had no choice, they became accustomed to the practice. Most services at Green Street- cremation or burial- however, are still full traditional services with the body prepared for viewing and present in the chapel prior to disposition.

Most funerals for the Chinese community take place on the weekend, and the Zodiac is consulted to determine auspicious and inauspicious days for the service. As a result, services are often delayed, and many tend to be scheduled for the same day.

http://www.pbase.com/clements/image/58278866

The Green Street Mortuary Brass Band, led by Lisa Pollard, leads a funeral procession through the streets of Chinatown

In the chapels could be found elaborately woven silk blankets, which family members would ceremonially place in the casket. First a white blanket, representing death, then a red one for life, followed by other colors. I asked about other items being placed in the caskets, and Mr. Steiner explained that clothing and other items had been placed underneath the casket's mattress - packed tightly and weighing up to 200 pounds. A modern innovation on this practice is the use of vacuum sealed bags that reduce volume by removing the air between items. The chapels were all equipped with video monitors, displaying slide shows of family photos accompanied by Chinese music.

A large Photo of the deceased stands to the right of the full couch casket in a Green Street Chapel

The next day, I attended a funeral service where a solemn procession filed to the front of the chapel to bow three times to the deceased and then three times to the family assembled at the front of the chapel. On our way out, we were presented with gifts, in a white envelope were coins and candy, and in a red envelope was paper money.

http://www.saxlady.com/memorials.htm

Another portrait in the convertable car that follows the band during the procession through Chinatown

Upon leaving the funeral home, I met up with Lisa Pollard, Leader of the Green Street Mortuary Brass Band, for the highlight of my visit. Ms. Pollard recommended good vantage points for the procession to follow. After a few minutes, the pallbearers and funeral directors brought out the deceased and placed him in the hearse. The band played 'Amazing Grace' -not usually one of my favorites, but in this case, very moving. The band then took a brief break as mourners and motorcycle escorts lined up in the procession. Once everyone was in place, the band began playing again and led the procession in a winding tour through Chinatown. It is a standard part of all of Chinatown services for the procession to stop at the home for a brief ceremony. The Brass band doesn't travel out of Chinatown, so if the home is outside of Chinatown that ritual takes place later. In this case, the home was inside Chinatown and was the first stop. We arrived after a few turns, guided by the motorcycle escorts.

A paper rice cooker, radio, shoes, suit and servants for burning are lined up in front of a casket

In front of the home, the procession stopped as the band assembled and the large floral framed photo was placed next to the opened door of the hearse. The band played another rousing hymn. At the end, a gong sounded three times, off-white spirit money was scattered and the procession got underway again. We travelled through heavy traffic and crowds of residents and tourists, making turns every couple of blocks. A traditional belief holds that bad spirits can only travel in a straight line. By turning often through the short blocks of Chinatown, and throwing out the white paper money, the procession confuses and eludes these spirits. The crowds react in many ways, some with reverence, some with impatience and some with curiosity and photographs. What is universal is that every one knows they are witnessing something of importance. Communicating the importance of the life lived, the passage to the next world, and the loss that family and friends are experiencing, is one of the basic purposes of any procession.

Among a paper house and washing machine, a table bears offerings of food, drinks and incense

The Chinatown portion of the procession ends with another hymn , the gong and the scattering of more paper. Then, the band stands to the side and bows as the convertable, the hearse, limousines and other mourner's cars continue on their way to the cemetery.

After this moving procession, I had an opportunity to talk with Ms. Pollard, Musical Director John Coppola and Percussionist Vince Lateano during a break between funeral processions. The band is comprised of many talented Jazz musicians, and beside the standard hymns, the band's extensive repertoire has grown with many requests. One memorable request that Mr. Coppola recalled was for a Lawrence Welk fan. Prior to the procession, the band played 'Bubbles in the Wine' as Mr. Steiner from the Mortuary blew soap bubbles! Asked if non-Chinese families at Green Street ever used the band, I was told a the story of an Irish Catholic cop whose procession led into the Irish bar across the street from the mortuary. The casket was opened for a song and toasts from friends.

Here's a toast to the Green Street Mortuary and the Green Street Mortuary Brass Band, May your service to this vibrant community continue to help them move forward after losses, and may the stirring sound of brass and drums, forever be a part of San Francisco's Chinatown.

My thanks to William Steiner, Lisa Pollard, John Coppola, and Vince Lateano.

Yours Truly, in front of Green Street Mortuary in North Beach

You Can Take it With You

11/12/08

http://www.thaiworldview.com/hongkong/religion/ancestor.htm

Paper house for burning

They say that you can't take it with you when you die. Well, I'm here to tell you that you can. Many times, families ask me if they can place some special item in the casket along with their loved one. I tell them that not only can they, I encourage people to place something special in the casket- especially children. Children feel loss just as we do, but they are often not as skilled at expressing their feelings. It can mean a lot for a child to place a special toy, or photo, a drawing or a letter in grandma's casket. If there are several grandchildren who'd like to do this, we can even make a moving ceremony out of placing the special items. This helps children acknowlege and work through their grief, and it helps adults too.

http://www.metafilter.com/19807/

Joss money for the afterlife (yes that's LBJ on the front)

I have assisted families in placing many things in caskets; fishing poles, photos, cigarettes and beer, jewelry and handkerchiefs, masonic aprons, blankets, candy and playing cards, even the cremated remains of pets and spouses. Sometimes it's a private thing that no one else knows about, sometimes it's a public ritual, but it always makes the family feel better. They feel that they have done one last thing for their loved one, and that somehow, in some way that person knows it and is smiling.

I know how they feel, because during my work, I feel that I am doing something for the deceased- that I am giving them one last gift of caring. It makes me feel good, and I think that somehow, somewhere, that person knows that they were treated with reverence.

This tradition of sending gifts along with the deceased has probably taken place as long as people were people. The earliest graves that have been found bear traces of tools, flowers, and other items intended for the next world. Certainly the Ancient Egyptians are well known for the lavish gifts entombed with their pharohs. The ancient Greeks placed a coin in the mouth of the deceased to pay for their soul to be ferried across the river Styx.

An ancient tradition that exists to this day is the burning of Joss money or

'Hell Bank Notes'

http://www.cachecoins.org/hellnotes.htm

These are notes used in traditional Asian ancestor veneration to ensure that spirits have lots of good things in the afterlife. These bank notes are well known for their outrageously large denominations and most feature an image of the Jade Emperor, and his Western signature (Yu Wong, or Yuk Wong) countersigned by Yan luo, King of Hell (Yen Loo). The back of each bill usually features an image of the bank of Hell. Some bills will depict famous or mythological people instead.
In Chinese mythology, the name of hell does not carry a negative connotation. The hell they refer to is Di Yu (underground hold/court). Di Yu is a maze of underground levels and chambers where souls are taken to atone for their earthly sins. The popular story is that the word hell was introduced to China by Christian missionaries, who preached that all non-Christian Chinese people would "go to hell" when they died. It was then believed that the word "Hell" was the proper English term for the afterlife. Some notes omit the word "hell" and sometimes will replace it with "heaven" or "paradise".
These notes often depict different images for decoration or to convey symbolic information. There are several ways to send Spirit Money to one's departed relatives -- it can be thrown to the winds during the funeral procession, left on a grave at any time, or burned in ceremonial fires. -from http://www.cachecoins.org/hellnotes.htm

Burning paper models - from Mercedes-Benz cars to houses - is a common practice at funerals in Taiwan. As many Taiwanese people believe the world spirits go to in the afterlife is a mirror of the human world, they also believe that the departed require a place to live, food to eat and money. Burning an object at a funeral in the human world transports it to the spirit world, which keeps the ghost of the departed happy and brings luck to the living.
"The tradition can be traced back to the Tang dynasty," says Tseng Kuang-hsing (曾光興), owner of Jixing Paper Art Co (吉興紙藝有限公司).

-from http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2007/11/25/2003389548

http://www.homsisdiscount.com/beer.html

Beer is an item that is often placed in caskets by loved ones in Wisconsin

My wife has a very specific list of things that she wants to go with her. She wants her purse, a note pad, pencil, pen, Chanel No. 5 powder, compact, lipstick, handkerchief, gum, her pillow, a bottle of water, the New York Times, her shoes, the key to the casket, a small shovel, and a copy of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past- as she will finally have a chance to read it.

Of all the things people send along, and sometimes they are a bit sheepish and ask me if their items seem unusual, the only thing that has surprised me is how many people put mashmallow Peeps in the casket. I never knew anyone actually ate those things, much less loved them enough to take them along to the bosom of Abraham. One thing is for sure, they'll last for a long long time.

http://thegazz.com/gblogs/bloginmysoup/2008/03/10/cooking-with-peeps/