Worshipping family ancestors is strongly connected to the Chinese conception of the soul. Chinese believers see the conception of the soul in two parts. The first part (the Yin) can live on in the form of a ghostly presence which in Western cultures could be seen as being akin to a spectre, a ghoul or a spirit. Cleverly however, the Chinese cope with their sense of sorrowful bereavement by having another part of the soul (the Yang) stay behind to keep sad relatives company and look out for them.

This neat arrangement for the conception of the soul will only work however, if the appropriate bereavement rituals are followed to the letter. The ghostly yin part of the soul must be appeased and respected or it will not be at peace and all will not be well. There are certain devotions and rituals and social traditions to be followed in the ancestor’s name before the yang part of the soul will start to beam good fortune over the family left behind. Rules must be followed and rites observed. For example, families must adhere to the tradition of passing down the family line through the males. Sadly, in modern times this can lead to a huge pressure in favour of male children and to vulnerability for the girl babies of China. Stories have emerged of abortion and abandonment of female newborns and mercifully there are now charities helping out with this phenomena.

Another interesting manifestation of Chinese veneration of ancestors is the belief that those who have led particularly good or aesthetic lives can become Gods after death.The Taoist god of war, Kuan Ti, was a living general of the Han Dynasty. Other gods are very localized and can have protective or luck-bringing functions, continuing the idea of the conceptions of souls which stay on after death. Although there are several strands of belief in Chinese religious culture, many carry the common theme of ancestor veneration. Both Taoism and Confucianism value highly the art of paying courteous respect to seniors and elders. Those venerated include parents and grandparents, and a fuss is made of these relatives at family gatherings. Even deceased ancestors are remembered during festivities and are honoured with rites and  ceremonies. Well-being and consolation can result from this shared outpouring of mourning for ancestors. The conception of souls and the belief in ancestor existence in China remains strong despite the growing rush of prosperity.