The Zhuang ethnic group is the most populous ethnic minority in the Chinese nation, with a current population of more than 16 million, of which more than 15 million are distributed in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, more than 900,000 are distributed in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, more than 3,500 are distributed in Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County and Huaiji County of Guangdong Province, more than 10,000 are distributed in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province, and more than 5,000 are distributed in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County of Hunan Province. Before the 1950s, the funeral customs of the Zhuang ethnic group were complex and diverse, with both the characteristics of social etiquette and the religious behavior of human beings in dealing with the dead. When a person is dying, all family members gather around him to say goodbye. In some places, after a person dies, filial sons and daughters go to the river or well to throw coins, burn incense and paper money to "buy water" to bathe the corpse, and then fire guns, set off cannons, beat gongs and drums, or cry bitterly to inform the villagers of the death. When the body is put into the coffin, it is usually necessary to invite a Taoist priest or a Taoist priest to hold a fast to pray for the soul of the deceased. The custom of choosing an auspicious day for the funeral and a burial site is also popular. After the burial, the children should observe mourning for one to three years. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, superstitions were dispelled. After someone died in cities and towns and government agencies, a memorial service was held to bid farewell to the body and then cremate the body; the funeral customs in some villages also tended to be simplified. The order of the Zhuang funeral etiquette is roughly as follows: After someone dies in the Zhuang family, the family immediately sets off three big firecrackers to indicate that there is a death in the family and to inform the villagers, relatives and friends of the death. At the same time, the host family sends people to the outside family and close relatives to announce the death, invite Taoist priests to perform the rituals, and start to handle the funeral. After the host family baptizes the deceased and announces the death, men and women in the tribe will automatically go to the host family to help with various funeral affairs. Filial sons and daughters and clansmen, wearing mourning clothes and bamboo hats, carry bamboo tubes or small buckets, go to the river (pond, spring) and cry, throw a few coins into the water, and draw water back to bathe the corpse. Filial sons and daughters and the closest relatives wash the deceased, which is commonly known as baptism. The deceased is shaved by men and combed by women. Men wear new hats and women wrap headscarves. Then the deceased is dressed in new clothes and shoes, and a silver dollar is placed in the deceased's mouth, commonly known as gold. Male deceased holds a fan in his hand, and female deceased holds a towel in her hand. The purpose is to let the deceased go to another world to live cleanly and decently. After the Taoist priest comes, the children are all present, and the Taoist priest chooses an auspicious time to hold the human coffin ceremony. The ceremony is as follows: the clan members put a room of plant ash in the coffin, and then spread a room of white cloth, carry the body of the deceased into the coffin, and then cover it with a piece of white cloth as a new quilt, and sew a mosquito net-like cover with white cloth, so that the corners of the cloth are exposed outside the coffin. When everything is ready, the coffin lid is closed and nailed with a large iron nail. At this time, the filial sons and daughters and clan members burst into tears. They cry and sing at the same time to bid farewell to the deceased. After the deceased is buried, the coffin is placed in the center of the hall, and a piece of cloth is used to cover the ancestral tablet to avoid offending the spirits of the ancestors in heaven. A cloth curtain hangs down from the head of the coffin, and a square table is set up. The deceased's spirit tablet is set on the table, and lamps and candles are lit. The ground is covered with mats, and filial sons and daughters sit and guard the spirit day and night. The period of suspension of the funeral depends on the wealth of the family, and is generally three to five days. The filial son wears white clothes, a bamboo paper hat, a hemp belt around his waist, and straw sandals on his feet; the filial daughter also wears white clothes, a white belt around her waist, a mourning scarf on her head, and straw sandals on her feet. She waits by the coffin day and night and cries bitterly to show her loyalty and filial piety. All relatives and friends who come to mourn wear hemp scarves. Men tie it on their left arms, and women tie it on their heads to show their mourning. The Taoist priest chants day and night to help the deceased transcend the dead. The date and time of the funeral are determined by the Taoist priest, mostly during the day and after the afternoon. During the funeral, a relative first walks in front carrying a basket filled with firecrackers and paper money, setting off firecrackers and scattering paper money along the way. The Taoist priest beats gongs and drums all the way, holding a sharp sword in front to clear the way. The coffin follows the Taoist priest closely, and the filial sons and daughters in hemp and mourning hold the coffin in front, and the funeral procession of relatives and friends follows behind. During the procession, the coffin must not touch the ground until it reaches the cemetery. After arriving at the cemetery, before burying the dead, the Taoist priest held a rooster in his hands, turned it a few times, and put it into the grave pit to predict good or bad luck. The Taoist priest also threw the grains he brought into the air to indicate that the deceased would have enough food and clothing in the underworld. Then he put the coffin and the burial objects into the grave pit. The filial sons and daughters first filled some soil, and then they and the funeral procession returned to the road, where some people buried the coffin and built the grave. On the way back, the Taoist priest was not allowed to beat the gongs and drums, and the filial sons and daughters and the funeral procession were not allowed to cry or look back. On the road, people also picked peach branches and leaves from the roadside to whip their clothes to show that they were driving away evil spirits. When people returned to the door of the deceased's house, everyone had to wash their hands in a basin of peach leaves to drive away evil spirits. After eating a meal, people dispersed and went home. After the funeral, the deceased's family set up a table in a corner of the house and set up a spirit tablet for the deceased. They offered food and food every morning and evening, and lit candles and burned incense after a certain time. After three years, the filial sons and daughters took off their mourning clothes. The Zhuang people used to have various burial styles for the dead. Such as cave burial, hanging coffin burial, flexed squatting burial, water burial, cremation, and bone-collecting burial. The most popular among the people is bone-collecting burial. Bone-collecting burial, also known as relocation burial, is to bury the coffin and build a grave with soil. After three to five years, an auspicious day is chosen to open the coffin and collect the bones for relocation burial. It is commonly known as "picking up gold" reburial. The Zhuang people believe that bone-collecting burial helps the souls of the ancestors return from underground to the ground so that they can go home and reunite with their families during festivals. Today, the custom of bone-collecting burial still exists among the people. After 1950, the funeral rituals and customs of the Zhuang people have changed a lot. Funerals, formal dresses, undressing, and relocation burials are all simple. However, the announcement of death and burial generally follow the old customs. In some places, Taoist priests are invited to perform Taoist rituals and chant sutras. In many Zhuang places, there is an "old people's association" similar to the current funeral committee. If the family is a member of the "Old People's Association", they must report the funeral immediately, and the "Old People's Association" will come out to help with the funeral. The "Old People's Association" still exists, but it no longer has superstitious content and has become a purely mutual assistance group. Members who join the association hand in ten bowls and ten spoons. And write their names on the death card. The association has accumulated a large number of tableware for members who have funerals to borrow. Usually, they can rent them. Every year on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, the day for re-election of the president and vice president, each member sends a man to the designated location to attend the meeting, each with a certain amount of home-brewed rice wine. A pig is slaughtered for the banquet. The president presides over the meeting. As usual, he must explain the purpose, announce the list of applicants for membership, and elect the next president and vice president through consultation. After the meeting is done, they drink unity wine together. When an old man in a family dies, the president will call on all members to work together to deal with the aftermath. In Zhuang language, it is called "Hanlu Guohe", which means rowing a boat across the river beach and working together to overcome difficulties. The president collects money, rice, wine and other items for the family of the deceased. Strong men from each family must come out to help collect firewood, repair bridges, pave roads, dig pits, carry coffins, and take care of condolences. After all the work is done, the president will hold a banquet to thank them. The president will also serve as the general commander of the funeral. With the "Old People's Association", even if the family is poor, the funeral can be held grandly, so that the children can fulfill their filial piety. This is a good tradition of unity and mutual assistance among the Zhuang people. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)