The ancient Bo and Guyue people of southern China did not bury their dead.
Instead, they hung their coffins from tall cliffs.
The precise reason for this kind of burial is not known.
However, practical applications of cliff burial cannot be ruled out.
It also keeps the ground free for cultivation.
Hanging Coffins in Sichuan province, China.
The oldest coffins dating back 3,000 years, however, were found in the eastern province of Fujian.
They are also placed in caves in the face of cliffs or on natural rock projections.
How the Bo people managed to move the coffins into place isa mystery.
Related:The Peculiar Burial Rites of Tana Toraja
Hanging Coffins, Sagada, Philippines.
Photo credit:Rick McCharles/Flickr
Photo credit:Gino Mempin/Flickr
The Bos were arebellious minoritytribe having strange customs.
To escape the oppression many Bo peoplemigratedto new locations and assimilated with other local tribes.
There are still over a hundred coffins scattered across Southern China.
“Hanging coffins” rest in a cave in Guizhou, southwest China.
Photo credit: Katie Hunt/CNN
