Suspended Burials in China

Credit: io9.com

There are countless unique and fascinating burial and death traditions across the world. But one that is especially intriguing — and quite beautiful — is the practice of suspended burials. This form of “burial” was practiced by the Bo people of Hemp Pond Valley in Southwest China’s Gongxian County over five centuries ago.

Unfortunately, the Bo were massacred by the Ming Dynasty, and they have since faded from memory. However, the mysterious Bo left behind one remnant of their culture: suspended coffins.

Multiple coffins, in various states of decay and breakage, extend out from an incredibly steep hillside.

Multiple coffins, in various states of decay and breakage, extend out from an incredibly steep cliff side. The coffins rest up to 300 feet above a river, and there are an estimated 160 total. Some are suspended on wooden poles that jut out from the rock, while others are tucked into natural caves along the cliff front. The coffins are unpainted, rectangular shaped and often carved from a single piece of wood. The walls of the cliffs also show evidence of painting — bright red murals that depict aspects of the Bo people’s daily lives.

Credit: chinaculture.org

Because the Bo were completely wiped out, there’s no real answer as to why they buried, or suspended, their kin like this. It’s been suggested, though, that the location of the coffin represented the dead person’s social status within the society. The higher up the coffin, the higher the social rank. It’s also been suggested that soldiers and well respected elders were placed in the coffins jutting from the actual cliff sides.

Although there are few concrete facts available about the Bo people and their views on death, there’s something very beautiful about these sky coffins. There’s a peacefulness and freeness to being buried on a cliffside. Those who live in the area where the coffins reside often refer to the Bo as “Sons of the Cliffs” or “Subjugators of the Sky” — a poetic nod to a people that have all but vanished.