- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 08 Apr 2025 07:19 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Ghost marriages, or “minghun”, are a unique and haunting tradition in China that dates back nearly 3,000 years. In this custom, the deceased are “married” either to another dead person or, in rare modern cases, to someone who is still alive. Though the practice may sound eerie to outsiders, ghost weddings are deeply rooted in traditional Chinese beliefs about family honor, spiritual peace, and ancestral continuity.
Originally, ghost marriages were arranged between two unmarried deceased individuals. Families believed it was essential for their loved ones to experience the institution of marriageeven in the afterlife. The ritual typically begins with the deceased’s family consulting a Feng Shui master to find a suitable match. Once a match is confirmed, both bodies may be exhumed, dressed in bridal attire, and married in a traditional ceremony complete with incense, offerings, and symbolic rituals.
Why Ghost Marriages Happen
Ghost weddings are often driven by cultural and spiritual beliefs. In traditional Chinese society, an unmarried woman’s spirit is considered restless and may bring misfortune. For parents, it is viewed as dishonorable to have an unwed daughter, even in death. In the case of deceased men, ghost marriages allow the family to continue their lineage, as the spirit bride can “adopt” a child who carries on the family name.
Other times, the desire for a ghost marriage is said to come from the deceased themselves. Families report dreams or séances in which the spirit of the dead expresses a desire to marry. Such signs are taken seriously and prompt the living to arrange a union.
The Ceremony and Rituals
Ghost weddings resemble traditional weddings in many ways. Families exchange gifts such as cakes, money, and clothing. Effigies made of paper or bamboo—dressed in bridal wear—represent the deceased and are often burned at the end of the ceremony to send them to the afterlife.
In some cases, a living woman may marry a deceased man, often participating in his funeral and even moving in with his family afterward. She may also take a vow of celibacy, dedicating her life to his spirit.
The Dark Side: Grave Robbing and the Black Market
This ancient custom has taken a grim turn in recent years. In several provinces, including Shandong and Shaanxi, a black market for female corpses has emerged. Young female bodies, especially those of unmarried women, are stolen and sold for ghost weddings, sometimes fetching prices of several hundred thousand yuan. Graveyards have responded by installing CCTV cameras and reinforcing coffins.
Requests From Beyond
Ghost marriages are often initiated by supposed requests from the spirit world. Families may turn to fortune tellers or priests after an unexplained illness or misfortune strikes, only to be told that an unsettled spirit is demanding a marriage. In milder cases, spirits are said to appear in dreams, gently asking for a companion in the afterlife.