Someone nearby has died recently and it seems that today is the first (and hopefully the last) day of the Funeral for the departed. There have been a few around where I live, only one of which (a few years ago) was from our building.
So at 06:30 this morning the music started, took us a while to realise it’s from a building across the street, though sounds much closer. The chanting type recordings, one right now is someone having a good old cry as they lament the departed one, and no doubt more to come before all the visitors arrive (in suits on a day like today too!!) before the big black car departs.
I did hear them setting up the ‘Marquee’ yesterday - the floral things on nearby corners have been present for a few days so it was just a matter of where and when. A couple of funerals recently have had the Marquee completely blocking a side street (I guess its not allowed on main streets) for a day or so.
Some of these can go on for days - we had one in our building (or rather, the common space between the two buildings) which we had no choice but to walk through the Marquee - and the chanting and so on went on all day for that week - Complaints to the Building Management fell on deaf ears. Some worship the Gods a bit more than others.
Experienced Taiwanese funeral as well nearby the place where I live. There were a few big wreaths around the house where the person died. There was an altar with the deceased picture, two towers in front of a tent. There were members of family doing red and yellow paper bags. Apparently these bags are later burnt. If there is an altar in front of the house it means that the body of the deceased person is still at home in a hired freezer. Would like to find out more how Taiwanese celebrate funerals and the death of a member of their family.