Name of Ritual

Tsuk Ban 出殡 (funeral procession)

Description of Ritual/Practice

• Family members, relatives and friends send the deceased on their last journey to their final resting ground. In the past, the community or clan members can be engaged to help carry the coffin (tua leng sou -in Teochew) 拖灵绳to the cemetery for burial. A hearse is used now and immediate family members help to “push” the hearse during the procession.

Who practices it? Who conducts the ritual?

Family members and aquaintances

Is it still practiced now?

• Families can hire musicians and performers from clan associations even if the deceased was not a member when alive.
• Some families engage a 好命人 to lead the funeral procession with the sons-in-law. This 好命人 must have 5 generations after him and is in good health and fortune.
• Funeral processions used to be very long due to large families, tighter clan and communities ties, and performances by funeral bands and other performers. Current regulations by LTA limits the procession, with all (including the deceased’s children) to stop the “pushing” of the hearse once they reach the main road. The rest of the funeral procession follows the hearse to the crematorium in buses or personal cars.

Other interesting notes

• The engaging of a 好命人 has no religious or cultural history; it appears to be another aspect of the informal funeral economy
• Cantonese songs (usually performed by clan associations) might be played during the procession. The presence of these bands and performers are meant to signal to onlookers that the deceased is well-liked and were of a certain status in their community.