Prior to last year, mourning for the dead was a complicated task in the suburban villages of Jinshan District - a large number of wandering monks, disguised ghosts and gods were invited to read funeral lectures or put on ceremonial plays.

In addition, clothes, furniture and fake money made out of paper were burned with the hope that the dead person could lead a prosperous life in heaven.

Such a funeral usually cost at least 5,000 yuan (US$602), which is almost equivalent to a villager's annual income.

"It was more of a show than a funeral," said Chen Longsheng, a government official from the district's Langxia Town.

"They held those extravagant funerals not for the dead but their neighbors, to whom they wanted to show how rich the families were."

Moreover, instead of being religious ceremonies, the funerals, participated with unqualified monks and witches, are the superstitious ostentations that villagers learned from some rich families before China's liberation in 1949.

At that time, the funerals were held by the rich families to present their superiority when most ordinary farmers could hardly feed themselves.

Nowadays, as most local residents lives have improved, many villagers copy the old tradition.

"To be frank, I have never realized what the lecture is about and do not believe the dead people can still receive these presents after being buried," said a 73-year-old surnamed Zhu, from Shanlang Village, Langxia Town.

"So when my 98-year-old father died two years ago, I canceled all the formalities. To treat old people well when they are alive is better than holding luxurious funerals for the dead."

Many local farmers, like Zhu, gradually changed their funeral custom since the late last year, when the district carried out an activity advising local villagers to economize their funerals.

Take Langxia Town, the district's agricultural center, for example. Some 24 out of 26 families who held funerals in last January has simplified the formalities.

"We began to suggest local villagers change their funeral habits in 1993 but few understood," said Chen.

"However, this time, we found people's attitudes changed greatly. Most of them have dropped the old habits as feeling wasteful by spending money on meaningless things."

Media and young migrant villagers, having experienced different life styles, also worked as catalyst in arousing people's suspects towards the wasteful funerals by bringing in simple living concept.

To change people's simple living attitude and also lighten the farmers' burden, the government in each village is required to provide a subsidy to every mourning family.

In Shantang Village, families of the dead can get 1,500 yuan each, which is enough for an economical funeral without superstitious ceremonies.

Shantang Village, a suburban place of the district, is home to 2,680 people with the farm lands of 215.66 hectares. Last year, village revenue hit 630,000 yuan, while it was only 200,000 yuan 10 years ago.

(Source: www.sh.gov.cn )