ABSTRACT
A dead Chinese is always treated with ambivalence. On the one hand, the deceased is treated with fear, and extreme caution is taken when handling the corpse. Moreover, people take precautions to avoid coming into contact with death. If contact cannot be avoided, they walk by quickly and quietly, careful not even to glance at the coffin. 2 Similar observations of the fear of the dead have been documented elsewhere. 3 On the other hand, there is a feeling of emotional attachment and sadness at the loss of a family member, and a firm conviction that the proper funeral rituals must be performed. How do we account for this ambivalence when dealing with the remains of the deceased?
