Tombstone origin
The graves where relatives are buried can be remembered for one or two generations, but not for three generations. Especially those who have been displaced by wars, migrations, etc., don't know where their ancestral graves are. How to solve it, people have come up with many ways. At first, people buried the dead. Inspired by the wooden stakes used to maintain the coffin rope, they inserted wooden stakes and bamboo poles in front of the tomb and tied fibrous things (paper or silk, etc.) ) to indicate the date and time of birth and death of the deceased, which is called "Ming Jing" (or "Ming Jing"). But it is easy to be damaged, so people try to find another way: the rich use stone pillars instead of wooden pillars, and engrave the name, birth time and official rank of the deceased on the stone pillars.
In order to carve more characters, its shape evolved into squares and rectangles, and it began to be buried inside or outside the tomb. Referring to the architectural structure, the top of the monument is capped and decorated with animals, plants or landscape patterns, and the body of the monument is engraved with the resume of the deceased. It shows that he was buried alone with his wife, concubine, son and daughter. Geomantic geographical orientation of the inscribed Yin House (that is, the tomb) (expressed in heavenly stems and earthly branches). Middle-class families set up medium-sized tombstones, while poor families can only set up small stone tablets with names, ceramic brick tablets or plant some evergreen trees as symbols.
As a result, tombstones are gradually transformed from practical products into cultural works of art, and their functions, shapes, textures and decorations are becoming more and more diversified. Celebrity tombstones pay more attention to granite, marble and other high-quality stone materials. There is a statue of the deceased on the top of the monument or a porcelain statue of the deceased embedded in the center of the monument. Tombstones have become "honorary certificates" and decorations to record the family background and merits of the deceased. This is in line with the social fashion of China people to honor their ancestors, benefit future generations and last forever.