iPhones for the Dead — Material Goods and the Chinese Afterlife
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When a Chinese person dies, it's customary to offer food, paper money and goods for use in the underworld. These goods are made of paper and can take the form of anything the living or the dead so desires, whether it be clothes, a house or even gold. But as times change and values follow, it's not uncommon to see iPhones, LV bags or even whole convenience stores burned in offering.
Seeing this made several members of the team who are of Chinese descent wonder: "Is our culture so materialistic that our love for things consumes both our lives and afterlives?" As Cody and Nate find out, it's not just about the things we see and the touch, but the greater cultural context that creates them.
Narration by Nate Kan & Cody Horne
Audio by Elphick Wo
Photos by Mia Haggi
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