Taoism is a religion that is very old and intriguing. In some cases it may similar to other religions and then other times it has its own uniqueness. In the fifth century Taoism was adopted as the state religion of China, but in 1911 state support ended. According to about.com the religion of Tao, term meaning path or way, is the natural order, or the force that flows through all living things. The Yin/Yang symbol symbolizes equilibrium and the harmony of opposites.
             When it comes to death there are two kinds of Taoism: philosophical and religious. The philosophical approach accepts death a natural returning to the earth, where as religious Taoism has an emphasis on health and healing as ways to gain long life or even immortality as stated by beliefnet.com. Funerals are one of the unique things about the Taoist religion. They are determined by the age of the deceased, the manner of death, status position in society and martial status. Chinatown online says that if a baby or child dies no funeral rites are performed, as respect cannot be shown to a younger person: the child is buried in silence. Worshipers of the Tao also seem somewhat superstitious. Wherever the funeral is being held, statues of Gods are covered and mirrors are taken away for fear of death. If they see the coffin in the mirror then someone in their immediate family is going to die.
             When the body is laid to rest the children of the family put the deceased's favorite things in with it. The number of days the wake is depends on the economic status of the deceased. When the coffin is being shut, Chinatown online states, all present must turn away and yellow and white "holy" papers are pasted to on to it to protect the body from being disturbed. Cemeteries are located on hillsides and the further up the hill the grave is the better its situation is thought to be. Family members and other relatives throw a handful of earth into the grave bef
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