Strange Cemeteries?

Just a few of my favourite cemeteries that I have come across...

     The Cimetiere des Chiens at Autres Animaux Domestiques opened in 1899 in Asnieres-sur-Seine, France. The title translates to English as "The Cemetery of Dogs and Other Domestic Animals." The cemetery is the eternal home for a wide range of other animals other than dogs and cats, including horse, monkeys, and even lions.

The impressive entrance to the cemetery was designed by famous architect Eugene Petit in Art Nouveau style which only hints at the level of prestige once bestowed on the residents of this cemetery. This cemetery was researved for the pets of the famous and ultra-welathy, essentially only those who could afford to place their pets here. the mass scultpures, and monuments reflect this wealth and demonstrates that status does not just have to be represented in human burials alone.


     The Wuyi Mountain Hanging Cemetery is another one of my favourite "strange" burial grounds. Located in the Fujian Province of China this mountain is the final resting place of hundreds of Chinese peoples. Coffins of this style are left straddling the sides of the mountain on ledges or planks for families to come visit. In China, they are known as Xuanguan, and is an ancient Asian funeral custom which means that these types of burials are not unique to this specific mountain or area.They are said to appear in the Chinese history, as early as in the Zhou Dynasty. The practice is said to have been created for minority groups despite the nature of the burial and the obvious amount of work that went into the burial. The traditional belief is that this type of "burial" would prevent beasts and spirits from taking the bodies.

 

     I chose these two gravesites to raise questions about burials; how they are important for different ethnicities and beliefs around the world, and the truth behind the strangeness of these practices. We can always make inferences as to what status means in a given society usually based on "wealth" but how do we draw on what is important as there may be a complex blend of individuality and affordability much like there is today in the past. Also i just wanted to show you some different graves that I find fun to examine whether we actually can learn anything from them or not!