Who proposed the principle of “thick sustenance, thin burial”? Why did the practice of simple burials become prevalent during the Wei and Jin dynasties?

The idea of “providing generously in life and keeping funerals simple” actually dates back over a thousand years. In ancient times—especially among imperial families—it was virtually impossible to practice this principle; instead, the norm was lavish provisions during life and equally opulent burials. Each emperor aspired to be laid to rest with grandeur and splendor. Yet during the Wei and Jin dynasties, the trend toward simpler funerals suddenly gained prominence. Cao Cao himself instructed that his posthumous rites be kept modest, a detail that may surprise many: even such an ambitious figure as he voluntarily advocated for a frugal burial. His descendants likewise adhered to this custom, and Cao Pi became the first emperor to actively champion the ethos of minimalistic funerals. In truth, practicing “generous support in life and simple funerals” is the most meaningful way to honor one’s parents; while they are still alive, ensuring they enjoy a peaceful and dignified old age is far more valuable than any elaborate ceremony after death.

Simple burial practices were highly esteemed in the early period of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties. Amid war and social upheaval, not only was it difficult to observe the elaborate funeral rites of the Han dynasty; often, people did not even have time to prepare mourning garments for the deceased. Yet by the middle and late phases of this era, the trend toward lavish funerary rites once again gained momentum.

In the early period, the practice of simple burials was widespread, closely linked to people’s aspiration for eternal peace and tranquility after death. To prevent lavish grave goods from attracting the attention of later generations, emperors, officials, and scholar-officials—from Cao Cao through the early Jin dynasty—actively promoted frugal funerary customs, prompting a broad social response. Among them, one figure deserves special mention: Cao Pi, who pioneered the trend of simple burials during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period.

Choosing “barren and infertile land” for burial, leaving tombs “unsealed and without trees,” and refraining from interring precious treasures—this was the frugal burial practice advocated by Cao Pi. Not only did Cao Pi inherit Cao Cao’s ethos of simple burials, but he also issued the “Will” and the “Final Edict” on his deathbed. These documents laid the foundation for the practice of modest and unadorned funerary rites among the imperial family and the upper echelons of society.

Like Cao Pi, other members of the imperial family who championed simple burials—exerting considerable influence and practicing what they preached—included Sima Yi and Sima Shi. Moreover, prominent figures such as Zhuge Liang, Wang Xiang, Du Yu, Huangfu Mi, and Zhang Rong were also among the leading advocates of frugal funerary practices.

Setting up an altar and placing a spirit tablet are indispensable elements of ancestral rites. During the ceremony, offerings of rice are arranged before the tablet, and mourners weep sincerely as they pay their respects.

Seven days is a significant number in the mourning ritual. During this period, people believe that each person possesses seven vital spirits, and that the deceased sheds one spirit every seven days. By the forty-ninth day—the seventh seven-day cycle—the soul has entirely dispersed. Accordingly, after the seventh day, families hold a more solemn memorial service, inviting monks and Daoist priests to chant sutras and conduct spiritual rites, earnestly praying for the departed’s peaceful transcendence.

However, during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period, a variety of burial practices coexisted. These included earth burial, cremation, tree burial, water burial, cliff burial, as well as cave burial and hanging coffin burial, reflecting the distinctive funerary traditions of different regions and ethnic groups at the time. Wooden coffins were the most common choice for interment, though stone coffins were also used, albeit less frequently.

The flourishing of Buddhism and the vigorous development of Daoism profoundly shaped the religious beliefs of the people during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties. These beliefs, in turn, exerted a significant influence on the funerary practices that were closely intertwined with them.

Distinctiveness and individuality left an indelible mark on the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period, a mark that was deeply etched into funerary culture and into the rites performed for the deceased. These funeral ceremonies reveal how the people of that era both responded to the spirit of their times and embraced traditional customs, shaping a way of life uniquely their own. Seen from today’s perspective, the funerary practices of the Wei–Jin–Northern and Southern Dynasties were not merely acts of farewell; they also stand as an unprecedented record of cultural transformation.