A Living Eulogy: The Surprising Tale of Cemetery Marketing

A wealthy woman living in a suburb of Beijing, China, was stunned when she visited a cemetery and discovered a grand marble tombstone with her own name engraved in gold letters. After wandering around the surprising gravestone, she realized she was not alone: no fewer than 600 tombstones bore the names of well-known individuals who are still very much alive, including basketball star Yao Ming.

The woman filed a lawsuit against the company managing the cemetery, China Dragon Garden. In her claim, she stated that finding a tombstone with her name caused her severe emotional distress, and she is demanding substantial financial compensation.

The company responded by explaining that they created the fake tombstones to give the cemetery an aura of luxury: they believed families of potential clients would notice the famous names on the tombstones and be convinced that this was the best neighborhood to lay their loved ones to rest.