Family arranges ‘ghost wedding’ for Malaysian couple killed in car crash

The couple had been together for three years and were about to get married when she died.

The parents of a Malaysian couple who died in a car accident recently held a “ghost wedding” to fulfill their children’s marriage wish. Yang Jingshan, 31, and Lee Xueying, 32, had been together for three years and were about to get married when they were killed in a car accident.

Mr Jingshan had planned to celebrate his birthday in Bangkok on June 2 and propose to his girlfriend during the trip. However, on May 24, the couple’s car overturned on a road in Perak, northwest Malaysia, and neither of them survived, according to the South China Morning Post.

After the tragedy, their families joined together to hold a “ghost wedding” in their honor, uniting them as man and wife in the afterlife. As the name suggests, “ghost wedding” usually refers to a ritual that unites two unmarried dead spirits.

The couple’s wedding ceremony took place in a funeral hall on Monday. Their family members also took a wedding photo and in their obituary, Mr. Jingshan’s family listed Lee as their daughter-in-law.

You can see the pictures here:

According to traditional Chinese belief, people who die without having their wishes fulfilled will not find peace in the afterlife and may return to haunt the living.

“Influenced by Chinese culture, ghost marriages also exist in many East Asian countries such as North Korea and Japan,” Huang Jingchun, a Chinese folklore expert, told the digital media company The paper.

He said the practice helps meet the emotional needs of relatives who miss their deceased loved ones.

“Whether out of longing and reparation for the dead or out of self-interest, those who truly seek comfort and relief from their fears are the living,” Mr. Huang said.

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