Chinese Funeral

Deep in the mountains of Shangri-La, a 5:00 AM search for life led me through misty trails and silent villages. Just as I prepared for a long walk home, I followed the sight of two monks into a sprawling courtyard. Inside, the air was thick with the sound of Tibetan incantations and the gaze of thirty villagers in traditional dress. Though initially met with caution, I was soon pulled to a table by a local woman and welcomed into the heart of a village funeral. Sitting by the fire among the women of the family, listening to the rhythmic chants from the floor above, I found the profound human connection I had been seeking in the most unexpected of places.