The Chinese concept of what happens to the human soul after death is as far removed from the Christian concept as t is possible to get.

Before Buddhism the Chinese believed that every person had two souls, the Po and the Hun.  According to classical Chinese writings the Po hailed from the North and appeared around sixth century B.C, whilst the concept of the Hun has its origins in the Southern China.

As the North and south expanded their territories Po and Hun ideas fused into the single concept of the double soul.  The Po was the earthly soul which manifested itself at the moment of conception, whilst the Hun came into being at the moment of birth.  Each soul had its own afterlife upon death.  When the body died the two souls would leave the body and separate, both heading for two different destinations, the Hun goes to heaven and the Po stayed with the body or went into the under world.

Like the Egyptians the Chinese made extensive efforts to prevent the body from decomposing, because they believed that if decomposition of the body was arrested the Po would linger within the body, thus preventing it from wondering off to inflict damage on surviving relatives.

However, these ideas began to change rapidly and dramatically with the arrival of Buddhism, which brought with it the concept of heaven and hell, the immortal soul and reincarnation.  These new ideas are based on a combination the folk religion, Taoism which is based on the teachings of the Tao To Ching, the originator of the idea of immortality, heaven and earth, and the mother of all things whilst the Mahayana Buddhism was the primary form of Buddhism as practices in Northern Asia and the Far East.

The new ideas brought with it the belief that at the moment of death the spirit leaves the body and is transported by messenger to Cheng Huang, otherwise known as the God of walls and moats where a preliminary hearing is held and judgement on the life lead is past.

Those who was adjudged to have lead a blameless life was sent directly to the Buddhist paradise or the tenth court for immediate reincarnation. On the other hand, the sinners’ fate was quite different. After 49 days, sinners were sent to hell which is said to be located at the bottom of Mount Meru, where they would undergo a period of punishment in one or more of the many levels of hell.  The length of time spent in hell was dependant upon prayers and intercession made on behalf of the departed.

Once the punishment had been completed a concoction of ‘oblivion’ was given to the soul to drink in preparation of the next reincarnation.  The soul is then transported on the wheel of transgression to the next reincarnation.  Alternatively they can be thrown off the body of pain into a river which transports them to inhabit the next life.