The mountainous Sagada province on Luzon Island in the Philippines and in other countries like Southern China have high cliffs which bear hanging coffins placed far above the ground.
The coffins of the ancestors of the local people were made out of single pieces of hollowed-out wood, usually carved out by the elderly or their relatives. The coffins sit on beam projections (or are placed in mountainside caves, as in China). It must have been quite a feat to get them up there.
This ancient funeral custom was practiced by minority groups. Such burial rituals are said to bring the person closer to heaven.
Bizarre Burials
Cliff-Hanging Coffins
Trend Themes
1. Hanging Coffins - Opportunity to develop innovative funeral services and technology for hanging coffins.
2. Custom Burial Rituals - Potential for cultural tourism and experiential funeral experiences based on custom burial rituals.
3. Ancient Funeral Customs - Innovative approaches to preserving and revitalizing ancient funeral customs for cultural heritage preservation.
Industry Implications
1. Funeral Services - Disruptive innovation opportunities to create unique funeral service offerings rooted in cultural customs.
2. Tourism - Development of niche cultural tourism attractions based on ancient burial rituals and hanging coffins.
3. Cultural Heritage Preservation - Applications of technology and education to preserve and promote ancient funeral customs for future generations.