Stories from Deli

By Gesiena Andreae

On Easter Monday, March 28, the remains of the Chinese Major, Mr. Tjong A Fie, were laid to rest near Medan entirely according to Chinese ritual, as one would expect of a good Chinese, which the deceased certainly was. Already one and a half months had passed since his death—time that the family used to make all the necessary arrangements for a dignified and impressive funeral. Indeed, it brings great honor to a whole family when one of its members is buried with much ceremony and display, with much weeping and lamentation.

Some of the 700 banners that preceded the procession.

For the Chinese loves dramatic ceremony. The timing of the burial is not decided at will by the family members but depends on what the priests determine as the most auspicious day and time. In this case, it was the 17th day of the second month of the Chinese calendar. The period between death and burial is, for the close family, a true time of mourning—not lived out in silence and stillness, but rather in continuous ritual: mourning music resounds through the house, wailing women lament their prayers to heaven, offerings and prayers are made to ward off evil spirits and invite good ones. In this way, one hopes to help and support the soul of the deceased in its migration.

Also in material terms, the deceased is provided for; to ease the transition from life as a human to the state of spirit, everything he might need for this move is made out of bamboo and paper—such as a sedan chair, a house, even a car. I saw industrious craftsmen making a car that lacked nothing, not even the number plate, and a house that fulfilled every requirement of habitability—at least for a non-material being. Two days before the funeral, all these creations were committed to the flames, so that—according to the priests’ calculations—they would be ready and waiting when the deceased had completed his journey through the spirit world.

A god who must ward off evil spirits.

During this time, the family denies itself comfort and pleasure; their grief is genuine, expressed in the little care they give to their appearance and their meals. I once heard of men who, as a sign of mourning, did not shave for 49 days. All mourners wear coarse black cloth or sackcloth, which must be worn unchanged for the entire mourning period. For seven days, no cooking is done in the house; rice and other simple food is delivered by friends, and, without the usual chopsticks, the food is eaten by hand.

In the days leading up to the funeral, one could see increasing numbers of banners and standards outside the Major’s residence, inscribed in Chinese characters with praises of his useful life and good qualities. These banners, some of brocaded silk and richly embroidered, went before the funeral procession—seven hundred in total. Seen from a distance, the sight of all these colorful cloths carried by men (looking like Chinese sandwich men, seemingly plucked from the streets, each carrying them in his own way—one straight, another crooked) was anything but solemn. The first impression I had was of ships tacking with colorful sails.

This long procession, covering much of the six kilometers to the burial place, positioned itself along one side of the road as the actual funeral cortège approached. Fireworks and music announced its coming. Priests and high priests, long ago arrived from the Straits, led the way. Behind them came all kinds of foodstuffs on decorated carts and tables—half a pig, half a lamb, a platter of ducks, trays of brightly colored pastries, gaily decorated wagons with moving paper animals, and finally the temple cart with the high priests, followed by the multicolored hearse.

No time or money had been spared on the hearse: to guide the soul of the deceased, an artfully made paper lion, moving mechanically, was mounted on top, with lion heads jutting out from the sides, and painted silk panels depicting symbolic scenes adorning the walls. A moving cord, held by one of the priests and running through the coffin, ensured continuous contact between the priest and the soul of the deceased. Behind followed the family in brown sackcloth, walking the entire long way to Poeloe Brajan, the family estate and burial ground—the only part of the procession that struck us Europeans as truly impressive. Needless to say, dozens of cars carrying Europeans followed the cortège, for the Major was a highly respected citizen of Medan who, with his Dutch-speaking wife, moved easily in European circles.

Many deeds of charity, proof of his good and generous heart, could be recounted, for seldom was anyone turned away when asking for a contribution to a good cause, especially when no distinction of race was made. Socially, this wealthy Chinese never appeared as a parvenu in his simple manner. Like many other Chinese in the Indies, Mr. Tjong A Fie had amassed his enormous fortune during his lifetime. Characteristic of his nature is also his last will, by which he not only ensured that his fortune remained intact but also that its revenues would serve useful purposes.

He brought all his possessions into a single foundation, called Toen Moek Thong, to be administered by a family council with his widow, Mrs. Tjong A Fie, as president, and his son as secretary. One should not see in this act a sign of modern progressiveness—the important role given to his wife stems entirely from Chinese family life, where the woman who has borne sons enjoys high honor. Though the provisions of the will might be declared invalid under our law, there was no fear that any heir would object. Every Chinese absolutely respects the last will of his deceased father!

That one need not be poor to have financial worries is also shown by the life of Medan’s Major Chinese. He too felt the effects of the general depression in plantation affairs, and thus entered eternal rest with a heavy heart. May his soul, thanks to all the preparations of his closest kin, find the peace he has deserved in the realm of the dead.

Medan, April 1921.

De aarde en haar volken; geïllustreerd volksboek, jrg 57, 1921, no. 8, 01-07-1921