Ipoh : Gathering @ the Graveyard

I was back in Ipoh on last Saturday morning - woke up at 6 am and reach Ipoh at 8.30am, just in time to pay respect to my grandpa at 9am together with my relatives. The cemetery where my grandpa was buried was quite near to my grandma's home, within 10-15km and it was the old type of graveyard where there's no proper arrangement of tombstones. Those tombstones marking each dead person's territory is everywhere, usually side by side and it makes walking and finding the grave a bit difficult. We were the first to arrive and because we only come here once a year, we tend to forget the exact location of grandpa's grave. We went on separate directions in search of grandpa and only later to be found by my mom. Finding the right grave can be tedious as the climbing up and down of other people's grave is hindered by the "lalangs" and weeds that have grown all over the place. Every year, we used to take out the weeds on our own but this time, we just get someone to do it by paying him RM10 and we just stood there and watch. By the time my relatives reached the cemetery, my tummy is already growling in hunger.

The Cemetery

A few years ago, my grandma would take charge in preparing all the stuffs for the prayers but ever since she has difficulty in climbing the hills and she just hurt her back, we went without her. Now my aunts would take over her duties and prepare all the stuffs in KL and then take it down to Ipoh this morning for the prayers.

My Grandpa & I

Ching Ming or better known as "grave-sweeping day" is an annual event to clean and weed the grave. Ching Ming ritual do not only include weeding of the area, cleaning of the headstone, and replacing the wilted flowers with fresh ones, but also the lighting of incense and burning of imitation paper money. The burning of the imitation money is for the deceased to use in the afterlife. Usually the Hell Bank notes come in the denominations of billions. I could only wish those are real money. My grandma used to buy a TV set, a Rolex watch and clothes to burn as part of the offerings to my grandpa when I was young. I have always find it amusing because those people who came up with this idea are really geniuses. Now, they even have LV bags, petrol station (I used to wonder what's the use of purchasing a car if there's no petrol station) and bras! The deceased also need sexy lingerie what!

The Gathering

The Food Offerings

In addition to that, food is laid out in front of the headstone as an offering to the spirits of the deceased. My aunts have prepared barbecued pork buns, roasted pork, roast chicken, rice, fat koh, really big and juicy apples, pears, and pineapple as offerings to grandpa. Just the look of the food already sent my tummy growling again. I waited patiently as everyone burned the incense sticks and took turns to pray to my grandpa and also the burning of the effigies. Then my aunt started chopping up the roasted pork and chicken and yay...the feast has began. Everyone rushed for the buns and the pork because that was supposed to be our breakfast. We usually treat Ching Ming like an annual picnic event with my grandpa. The difference - he gets to eat it first before we do!

The burning of goodies for the dead

Striking a post amidst the cemetery background

Next Cemetery: My eldest uncle's cemetery in Tambun, further up Ipoh Sunway City. We went there around 1pm and lucky the weather wasn't so hot at that time. My eldest uncle had been cremated and his ashes had been put to rest at a modern cemetery like Nirvana, where graves are organised and clean.

The entrance with 2 grand arches

The Gods to welcome you

The organised graves

The main building for the cremated ones

I prefer the modern type of cemetery. At least it doesn't look eerie enough to come on any other ordinary day. However, the space are tight and we probably don't get to gather and have a picnic unlike my grandpa's grave.

The VIPS

Can't help but to photograph what other people offered to the dead. After the prayers, they took it all back!

An artistic shot of incense sticks and candles

My aunt praying to her husband

All the ashes in the urns are housed here. People identify the cubicles by the gold tag outside the compartments that bears the name. Some compartments are bigger which can house 2 urns, meaning if your husband is dead, the empty space next to him is waiting for you! The rule is to open the door of the compartment first before going down to the prayers table to offer the food and offerings, so that the deceased can start feasting.

So much so for the gloomy post. Well, at least I get to share with you guys who haven't been to a chinese cemetery before. I never dread myself to Ching Ming. I simply enjoy the annual gathering with good food at the graveyard.