Morticians Zhang Yang and Zhang Qi (right) prepare a corpse at Babaoshan Funeral Home in Beijing on March 25. Photo: Wang Zi

By Liu Meng

When working as a student mortician, there are a lot of funeral faux-pas to keep track of. Solemn with no smiles is obvious protocol. But even a simple goodbye can get you in trouble which in Chinese translates to an ominous and inappropriate "see you again."

"No matter who you are outside, you have to put on another face when working," said Huang Yueni, a mortuary sciences graduate at Chong-qing City Management College and now employed at a funeral home in Chongqing.

As mortuary studies are a relatively new discipline at Chinese universities, Wang Zhi-guo, currently a director with Changsha Social Work College (CSWC) in Hunan Province, started the school's mortuary sciences department in 1995 in order to help standardize training in the industry. The move made it the first college in China to offer a degree in the field.

The CSWC program focuses on four branches of study: cremation, embalming and cosmetology, cemetery design and funeral directing. Following CSWC, colleges in Beijing, Changsha, Chongqing and Wuhan also opened mortuary science departments.

Working stiffs

Zhong Jiechun, 21, is an undertaking junior at CSWC, and doesn't hesitate to explain why she chose this major, "As a funeral director, I'll never be short of a job after graduation."

Specializing in embalming and cosmetology, Zhong Jie-chun often works on bodies that have died of something other than natural causes, such as drowning or car accident victims.

When asked if she found it difficult when performing cosmetic reconstruction, she replied, "As long as I'm concentrating on the job, I'm not afraid."

After one year's study of basic skills including dressing, preparing and embalming, the college then assigns students to internships at funeral homes around China.

Zhong Jiechun said she will never forget her first time encountering a corpse and had to perform a face-lift on a car accident victim during her internship at a Guangzhou-based funeral home.

"If it wasn't for my teacher's preparing me psychologically, I don't think I could have overcome my fears," she said.

At the same time, Zhong Jiechun is also not afraid of finding a job after graduation as professionally trained morticians are in great demand.

"There are about 1200 funeral homes all over the country which hire an average of 8,000 per year," said Zhong Qishun, General Secretary at the mortuary science department at CSWC. "Currently, 300 of our seniors have already been hired."

He also explains how some graduates are working as funeral homes directors making 10,000 yuan ($1,465) a month, while entry level morticians make 2,000 yuan.

According to the Report on Funeral Development of China (2010) released on March 31 by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the number of morticians in China totals 70,000, and with an ever increasing aging population, this field will be in greater demand. Still, due to the nature of the job, dropouts of the program are not uncommon.

"There are students who dropout in the middle, mostly because they found themselves 'not suited' for this job," said Zhong Jiechun.

Don't fear the reaper

Despite the demand, both traditional culture and superstition among some Chinese make it difficult to even admit to working in the funeral business.

"Some people think morticians bring ill-fortune because we work with corpses. Many won't even shake hands with us," said Zhong Jiechun.

According to her, some students are not even invited to attend birthdays or weddings for fear they would bring bad luck.

"But as people become more open-minded, I think when they see us, their eyes are filled more with curiosity, not discrimination," she added.

As can be expected with learning the ropes of the funeral business, there are some common obstacles student morticians often encounter. The first is shaking the fear of working with dead bodies.

Although Huang usually considers herself quite brave, she said she was quite creeped out when visiting a funeral home for the first time.

"I followed my teacher closely step by step, afraid to be left behind."

Students often suffer from bouts of depression due to their frequent encounters deaths under tragic circumstance, such as young children from diseases or traffic accidents.

"Especially when we see parents crying heartbreakingly, I feel like collapsing also. Those that have died young should be living happy lives," she said.

There is superstition

Most mortuary science students keep their social circles within their same major. According to Zhong Jiechun, due to the perceived taboos of their profession, many often choose to hide their true vocation when asked by their new friends.

"Because we are worried that they will feel awkward," said Zhong Jiechun.

This naturally leads to many students finding trouble dating someone comfortable with their work.

"Some of us dated students studying other majors, but when it came to their parents finding out, most of the relationships end soon after," Zhong Jiechun said.

"In order to solve this problem, some companies even hire on at one to one boy-girl ratios," she added.

Both Zhong Jiechun and Huang Yueni said that being in the funeral business doesn't get the respect it deserves.

"In most people's mind, this job is cold-blooded and strange. But through it I get to realize how precious life is," Huang said.