In Hong Kong, my friends and I visited Sam Mun Tsai village in Taipo. What astounded us was the sheer number of Chinese graves lying on top of a nearby hill. These graves took up more space than the typical Hong Kong arrangement, which was narrow and vertical (even the living lives this way!) Perhaps, the village’s obscure location, along with the abundance of unused space, meant that these dead residents could afford the luxury of, uh, space.
All of the graves faced the sea. This was most likely to be based on Feng Shui practices, which partly aimed to bring prosperity to one’s descendants. Then, there are Mountain God tombstones accompanying some of the graves (below is such picture with orange offerings).
I decide to present these tombstones with pictures of the surrounding nature. They provide an interesting parallel. One can argue that in death, one returns to ashes, and to mother nature. One may face the issue of death alone in spirit, like the lonesome tree figures. And, when one finally accepts death, it’s like letting one’s grip off the shore, and allowing oneself to be carried off by the current of the ocean. You’re free, but you don’t know where you’ll be heading to.
