Funeral Floozies

While researching last week’s post on firecrackers, I came across some very interesting information about funerals in Taiwan (which some consider a province of China) and a few rural parts of mainland China. Apparently, these funerals sometimes have strippers. Yes, you read that correctly, strippers.

There seem to be a few theories as to why this practice occurs. Some believe that having strippers or scantily clad singers and dancers is a way to attract mourners to a funeral, which gives honor to the dead person. Others believe that this is a way to make the spirits happy by providing entertainment. Also, there is another theory that states that is simply a way to give the dead person a grand send-off.

From what I’ve read, it doesn’t matter much which theory you believe, the end result is the same. These women are hired by the dead person’s family to provide entertainment at the funeral. The women then show up on an Electric Flower Car, which is a truck that has had its bed converted into a neon lit stage. The women then sing, dance, and strip for the mourners.

Now, I can’t say how much of this is true. I have never been to a Chinese or Taiwanese funeral of any sort. So, I have never even had a chance to see a funeral stripper. Also, I find it a little suspicious that every article I found on the subject cited the same person, Dr. Marc L.  Moskowitz, as the source of the information on the practice. Dr. Moskowitz is the director of a documentary called Dancing for the Dead: Funeral Strippers in Taiwan. Unfortunately, I have not been able to view this documentary so, I can’t vouch for it in any way.

What do you think? Are the funeral strippers of rural Taiwan and rural mainland China fact or fiction?

4/26/2015: Slate.com ran an article (Some People in China Hire Sexy Dancers to Perform at Funeral) describing this phenomenon.

4/27/2015: Buzzfeed has also reported on this (China's Ministry of Culture is Cracking Down on "Funeral Strippers").