Encoffining Ceremony in Taiwan — Body Preparation, Rituals, and Taboos

The encoffining ceremony (da lian) is the moment a Taiwanese funeral shifts from preparation to farewell. It's when the body is formally placed in the casket, surrounded by protective items, and sealed for the final departure. For most families, it's also the most emotionally intense ritual — and the one with the strictest taboos.

Understanding what happens and why takes some of the shock out of it. These aren't arbitrary steps; each one carries a specific purpose in traditional Taiwanese belief about the soul's transition.

Ritual Bathing (Mu Yu) and the Water Begging Ceremony

Before the body can be dressed, it must be ritually cleansed. The process begins with qi shui (begging for water) — the eldest son leads the family to a nearby natural water source. In modern urban Taiwan, this is usually adapted: the family places a bucket of tap water outside the home and burns paper money to "pay" the water deity for clean water.

The eldest son then performs the symbolic three-wipe wash — face, upper body, and lower body — using the ceremonial water. This isn't a medical cleaning (that happens separately at the hospital or mortuary); it's a spiritual purification that prepares the body to receive the burial garments.

The Layered Vestments (Shouyi)

The deceased is dressed in ceremonial garments called shouyi (壽衣), and the counting rules are precise:

• Count by layers (ceng), not by pieces. A double-layered garment with lining counts as two layers.
• The total must be an odd number — three, five, or seven layers. Even numbers are associated with paired misfortune.
• Nine layers are strictly avoided (the character for nine, jiu, carries associations with extremity and suffering in this context).
• No animal-derived fabrics — no wool, fur, or leather. Folk belief warns that animal hide causes the deceased's bones to darken during cremation, an inauspicious sign.

The garments are typically provided by the funeral home and chosen by the family in advance. Traditional families use formal Chinese robes; modern families sometimes choose the deceased's favourite clothing as outer layers, with traditional undergarments beneath.

Sacred Items Inside the Casket

During the formal casketing, several protective items are placed with the body:

The Seven Star Board (qi xing ban): A wooden board drilled with seven holes representing the Big Dipper constellation, placed at the bottom of the casket. It aligns the body with cosmic energies and orients the soul for its journey.

The Water Quilt (shui bei): A white or saffron coverlet embroidered with the Buddhist wan (卍) character, draped over the chest. It provides spiritual warmth during the underworld passage.

The Chronological Head-Pillow: A rhombus-shaped pillow placed under the head, filled with silver paper money and adorned with a chicken feather on the left and dog hair on the right. The chicken-and-dog symbolism allows the soul to distinguish morning from evening in the darkness of the underworld — the rooster crows at dawn, the dog barks at nightfall.

The Over-the-Mountain Trousers (guo shan ku): A pair of white cotton trousers placed inside the casket, sewn with one leg turned inside out. The purpose is defensive: if predatory ghosts encounter the deceased on mountain paths in the underworld, they'll be distracted trying to figure out how to wear the inverted trousers, buying time for the soul to pass safely.

The Casket Sealing Taboo

When the casket is sealed, every family member must turn their back and avert their eyes. This is perhaps the most universally observed taboo in Taiwanese funeral practice. The belief is direct: watching the casket close can trap a living person's soul inside with the deceased.

The funeral director will announce when the sealing is about to happen. Family members physically turn away. Some cover their faces with their hands or mourning garments as additional protection.

The Maternal Uncle's Authority

For a mother's funeral, the casket cannot be sealed without the maternal uncle (mu jiu) — the deceased's brother. He inspects the body one final time to confirm there are no signs of abuse or neglect, then delivers a symbolic tap to the coffin lid with a hammer, formally authorising the sealing.

This custom — jiujiu dian ding — gives the maternal family a veto over the proceedings. It's both a protective measure (ensuring the married daughter was well cared for) and a profound expression of the birth family's enduring bond.

If the maternal uncle lives abroad or is deceased, begin coordination with the maternal family and the funeral director about a formally agreed substitute or other arrangement.

What Families Should Prepare

Before the encoffining ceremony:

• Confirm the burial garment selection with the funeral director
• Verify who will serve as the maternal uncle representative (for a mother's funeral)
• Ensure all family members understand the turning-away requirement during sealing
• Prepare any personal items the family wants placed in the casket (photographs, letters, meaningful small objects — though the funeral director may advise against certain materials)

The Taiwan Funeral Planning Guide walks through the full encoffining sequence step by step, including the vendor interview questions that help families evaluate whether a funeral home is handling body preparation with proper respect and transparency.