Influenced by the Japanese movie “Departures(2008)” and the reports on local media, Chinese public may have two different thoughts about embalmers: First, some people think embalmer is a respectable profession. Otherwise, people think this profession is dealing with dead people and may bring bad luck.

We followed former embalmer Feng Lei back to his hometown Baiyin, Yinchuan Province in China to see the how he became an embalmer, and why he quit. Then, we went to Changsha Social Work College, which is the most famous college for educating embalmers in China, to meet a sophomore who majors in Funeral and talk about her career plan. And then we went back to Beijing, to meet Chenchen, who is now working as a watchman in a mortuary.

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