Story: Diverse religions

Early Chinese funeral, Cromwell

Early Chinese funeral, Cromwell

Cromwell in Central Otago was the site of a large gold rush in the 1860s. About 400 of the miners came from China, and they and their descendants remained in the town until the 1920s. This 1908 newspaper story describes the funeral of Tommy Ah Joe, who was buried according to traditional Chinese, including Buddhist, rituals. His clothing was burned to deter evil spirits and food was placed around his coffin to sustain him on his journey to heaven.

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National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past
Reference: Otago Witness, 16 September 1908, p. 57

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Paul Morris, 'Diverse religions - Buddhists', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/document/32248/early-chinese-funeral-cromwell (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Paul Morris, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 12 Jul 2018