In China, because of an ancient superstition that it is bad luck for a man to die unmarried, bodies of dead women in China are being snatched from graves and sold for millions of Naira to feed a growing demand for 'corpse brides'.
People are stealing female corpses to marry them to dead 'single men' in mortuaries
Bodies of dead women in China are being snatched from graves and sold for thousands of pounds to feed a growing demand for 'corpse brides'.
People are stealing female corpses to marry them to dead 'single men' in mortuaries
To prevent misfortune, families are finding corpse brides for their bachelors by reinforcing female skeletons with metal wires, dressing them and burying them next to the man.
At least three dozen bodies have been reported stolen in the past three years in Southern Shanxi's Hongtong County, according to Lin Xu, deputy director of the county police department.
Guo Qiwen, is looking for his mother's body, which was stolen last March.
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He said: "I have spent more than 50,000 yuan (2 million Naira) looking for her remains. It kills my heart not having her back."
A man, Jing Gouzi, who bought a corpse to bury next to his single older brother told Xinhua News Agency : "I thought of using a woman made of dough, but the old men in our village insisted only real bodies could prevent misfortune."
Chang Sixin, deputy director of the China Folk Literature and Art Association, said there are even matchmaking agents and companies to pair dead bachelors with the corpses of women.
In 2011, a man was arrested for killing his wife and then trying to sell her body as a corpse bride.
Last year, three men were arrested after trying to sell bodies for more than £25,000.
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Even old, decomposed bodies can be sold for over £500 according to Weird Asia News.
The tradition, which was practised in mediaeval China, was banned by Chairman Mao when he came to power in 1949.
According to Chinese criminal law, those who steal or defile a corpse are subject to up to three years in prison.
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