On our way to the Kowloon Walled City Park, we passed the Kowloon Park Cemetery (bottom left and right) where those with enough money can actually afford to bury their dead. Most people don't have the funds and so cremation is the predominant practice. The food and incense sticks in the top picture are customary among Buddhists as an offering to their deceased ancestors. We saw this display on the street as we walked to the temple one morning.
I once heard about a conversation between a Westerner and an Oriental. The Westerner, after seeing just such a scene as this, asked the Oriental, "How long do you think it will take before your ancestors get up to eat this food?" The Oriental replied, "About as long as it takes your ancestors to get up and smell the flowers you leave on their graves!" When we returned along the street in the afternoon, the food was gone so I guess the Oriental's ancestors win because I've seen flowers get pretty wilted on our cemetery plots. In spite of it all, it is commendable that the Chinese do think frequently about their ancestors.
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