Langmusi: the sky burial

It is a morbid fascination; something so beautiful yet equally
grotesque. We are in Langmusi, it is August 12th, and are about to witness a sky burial. The body is carried up to the burial grounds. A man cries out, calling the birds. Miles away I can faintly see a line of imposing cliffs. Like an aerial attack, out of the mist, I see dozens of birds charging towards us. Vultures - It is believed that when the birds eat the body, they will take it to heaven - They perch on a nearby hill and wait. When the body is laid to rest on the ground, they spread their wings, spanning six feet across, and dive down. It's a frenzy; we no longer see the body, only a pile of 60 birds fighting for their share. The smell is overwhelming, but the sounds, the ripping, the swallowing, the piercing screaches, all of it vibrates. The vultures leave 20 minutes later, and a stripped human skeleton is all that is left.

Along with a French companion, we had woken up early that morning to see the burial grounds. As we were about to leave, we heard the cries.

We run up a hill, keeping a respectful distance and wait. Along come four Chinese tourists; they stand right up close to the body and to the people preparing for the burial and begin to take pictures. I cringe. While we make an effort to stay out of the way, we are unknowningly sitting on the perching site for the vultures. The men performing the ceremony wave us down. I am reluctant to film or photograph any of this out of respect, but they actually encourage us to do so. They even lead us up close to the feeding place. I assume a ceremony was performed before this burial because no family members were present. It seemed routine for the four men laying out the body.

Maria had visited Langmusi five years ago and was amazed at how much it has changed. Most of the central wood houses were replaced by brick buildings. And while the main street, with hotels and restaurants has running water, others on the outskirts have not. It's been commercially developed in an unfair way. But while the village experienced a physical facelift, the people remain the same. You only have to walk a little further off the main road to be invited for a bowl of soup.