A Study of Naxi Funerary Beliefs, Rituals, Attire and Bereavement Experiences in China

This article examines Naxi funerary culture through the interrelated dimensions of belief, ritual, and materiality, drawing on historical sources, publicly available visual materials, and online semi-structured interviews. It first reviews core beliefs, including the conception that humans possess three souls and the return of the soul to the ancestors, and traces the development of Naxi funerary practices from natural disposal and cremation to contemporary combinations of cremation and burial. Building on existing case records from the Sanba area, it discusses receiving the last breath, the wake, the funeral procession, and cremation, and analyzes Dongba ritual vestments, the deceased's funerary garment, and relatives' mourning dress in marking identity, guiding the soul, and structuring mourning. It argues that Naxi funerary practice understands death as spiritual transformation, ancestral reintegration, and social reorganization, offering a localized perspective on death, rites of passage, and dress symbolism.