The Hsiu-Kou-Ku is a Buddhist ritual performed periodically by Thailand's Chinese community. The tradition is meant to help the souls of unclaimed dead people find peace in accordance with Buddhist belief.
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00:00This is Shokoku, the Recycling of the Abandoned Bones, a Buddhist ritual performed by Thais of
00:08Chinese descent. It is organized every once in a while and can last over a week. The ritual is
00:14essentially a funeral for those whose families could not be located or did not come forward
00:19after they died. If these people still haven't been cremated, they are considered spirits without
00:25location. They might suffer and can't be reincarnated. The Chinese make up around 10-12% of Thailand's
00:34population and have intermingled with ethnic Thais for centuries. This ritual highlights
00:40how deeply integrated the ethnic Chinese community is within Thai society. Thai hospitals provide
00:45the bodies to the Chinese Thai community, who in turn offer a dignified farewell and spiritual
00:51peace to those who would otherwise have no one to fulfill the duties of filial piety.
00:57The final step is the cremation of the around 600 remains, as Buddhists believe that a soul
01:03is trapped between two worlds until its body is cremated.
01:10This ritual ceremony would not be possible without volunteers. Participants of varying ages
01:16cultures and backgrounds come together to help, each for a different reason. Pimchi Sawandad
01:21is a 55-year-old shopkeeper who started volunteering at the age of 17.
01:25There is no reason. My heart tells me to go. I just want to help them. Whenever there's
01:32an event like this, I just want to be there. Other volunteers, like the 63-year-old Titiwat
01:37Pon Perak Sakun, are driven by deeply personal experiences.
01:43Before I became a volunteer, I experienced a life-changing bus accident with many of my relatives
01:48there in the bus. Only the driver died, but it was a starting point for me to help people
01:53who died from road accidents.
01:57The ceremony shows the collaborative relationship between the Chinese Thai community and local
02:02ties. Both are united by their shared beliefs, to garner merit and embrace their compassion
02:08for the dead.
02:11Isen Chen and Mirren Branagh for Taiwan Plus.