30 Things That Only Happen In China

27. Grave Robbing And Ghost Marriages

China has its fair share of bizarre rituals and lore, some that are still followed to this day.

Ghost marriage is a tradition in which one or both parties are deceased and then married in holy matrimony. Grave robbers are hired by families to procure the bodies of their men who have died young and unmarried so they may have a partner in their next life. For women, both dead or alive, this ceremony is conducted so they may have patrilineage.

Lack of women of marriageable age and preference for a male child have given rise to these dire consequences.