Central Customs Of Ming Dynasty Folk Funeral

The human must face the reality that is the death.But because of the involvement of human culture, the death is not a simple death, while it is a form of culture for human to express themselves. So, in this case,the funeral is also not a pure process of corpse,while it has became a kind of carrier that caused and reflected by the social, cultural and even thepsychological factors. People’s cultural psychology and values is bound to be reflected in their way of life. So,the daily life of private citizens is the most vivid and rich form expression of culture psychology and values in this period. And among that,funeral is particularly important in the ancient times ruled by Confucianism. Thus, it is very important to inspect the funeral in order to research people’s ideological, cultural psychology and values by the hidden psychological behavior characteristics and the real moral status in heart,which from funeral habits being repeatedly practice yet turn a blind eye and unknowingly.Funeral custom is an important part of Chinese ancient etiquette custom. It is a series of behavior around the deceased and death. It is produced and developed by the social, economic, cultural and even the psychological environment. Thus, funeral customs are not completely consistent between dynasties. The Ming Dynasty is in the transition period of Chinese feudal society, so the special social environment caused the unique funeral custom, which is different from the previous generation. It is not only have a major impact on the Ming, but also have a certain impact on the Qing dynasty.The change and development of Ming Dynasty’s funeral custom, from the Late Yuan to the Early Ming until the Late Ming Dynasty, it has three historical periods, and the two changes. The change in the Early Ming Dynasty, it is focusing on the political field. Because the funeral custom in the Late Yuan is very bad. So, it will live the real funeral custom on the base of official institutions in the Early Ming Dynasty. The folk funeral ceremony in the Middle and Late Ming Dynasty, it is more for the foundation of funeral custom. So, for this way, the funeral custom changed again. So,it will on the base of the book notes, novels by the Ming, and miscellaneous local chronicles.The funeral customs of the Ming Dynasty. Ming’s funeral custom is inherit from the former generation in many field. But at the same time, it also changed, and it is also not the simple inherit. That is to say, Ming’s funeral custom has its unique features, these features are not inherit from the previous generation. These characteristics create a unique funeral custom of Ming dynasty.So, Ming’s unique funeral custom characteristic have the impact not only at that time, also have an important influence on later generations. This influence will show from the political, economic, and even from the ideological and cultural aspects.After finished discoursing the Ming Dynasty funeral customs, the cause of its formation, its characteristics, and its influence, we can see a clear venation. That is: customs of one period is caused by the social, cultural, psychological environment, and because of the different periods, it will formed an unique customs in one period. And this unique custom will make a important impact at that time and also the later generation. And among them, the central link is cultural and psychological environment that filled with in the whole funeral ceremony, which is ethical basis that have a deeper and more profound effect.