Expensive weddings are one thing – only the other day I had written about what is being hailed as the most expensive wedding ever. But a super expensive funeral? A Chinese businessman recently spent close to S$1 million on an elaborate funeral for his mother on 4 March, in Wenling, east China’s Zhejiang province.
Anyone following the procession would have counted eight stretch Lincoln limos in addition to several other luxury vehicles. 16 gold-painted cannons were fired in salute when the coffin passed them. There was also a marching band. But not just any marching band, for it comprised 600 musicians. Meanwhile, 600 monks took care of the rites. Many of them were from adjoining provinces, because there weren’t enough monks in the area where the funeral was held. In addition to all this, the Chinese businessman had arranged for large LCD screens on either side of the stage on which to follow the funeral proceedings.
That was just as well for many of the 1,000 mourners who were unable to approach the procession. Crowds of some 10,000 onlookers further swelled the footfall at this funeral that cost some five million Yuan (about S$976,283). As expected, the funeral crowds ended up creating huge traffic snarls.
This lavish funeral could be a sign of things to come as China’s booming economy throws up more and more millionaires and billionaires. Sadly, even as certain classes gain in prosperity, millions of Chinese continue to be plagued by poverty and the wealth gap continues to grow.
Via: Asia One
