Streamers Ludwig And Michael Reeves stumbled upon a "happy funeral" and were invited to eat.
On their journey through China, the two streamers stumbled upon a festive garthering in a rural village. Not knowing it was a funeral, they asked if they could eat there.
What Are They Doing In China?
Ludwig and Michael Reeves are two influencers that set out to cross China by motorbike without maps, avoiding highways and only speaking Chinese. This challenge they called Tip2Tip.
It started on March 21 and ended on April 7, riding 4,000 miles from the South China Sea to the country’s northern border near Mongolia in 16 days. They documented their travels and adventures on YouTube, creating funny, unique and inspiring moments along the way.
"Happy Funeral"
On the fifth day of their trip, the pair kind of lost their way and ended up in a rural vilage. There, they encountered a lively decorated gathering and, thinking it was a festival of some kind, asked in broken Chinese if they could eat there.
You can watch the video of day 5 here.
A local 45-year-old man named Li was attending the gathering and told the two visitors that they were holding a funeral for their neighbor and the meal was already finished but they could wait until later for food.
I told them it was a funeral for a 104-year-old and unfortunately the main meal had already finished, and they would have to wait until 5pm for food.
Li recalled.
Due to the language barrier, the travellers misunderstood and described the gathering as a “festival” that had been going on every day for an entire month in celebration of a local man’s grandmother and her long life.
The incident even made the Chinese news with the South China Morning Post reporting:
Two Americans travelling in China who mistook a “happy funeral” banquet in rural China for a trendy restaurant were unexpectedly given a warm welcome by the locals.
The morning post describes the gathering as a "happy funeral", or "xisang" in Chinese. It is, as the name says, a festive goodbye celebrating the full and accomplished life of a person that has lived to a very old age. They are supposed to be happy and lively – easily mistakable for a festival.
Later, Li decided to invite Ludwig and Michael to his home for a meal. His father, a former chef, cooked for them and they ate together.
Li shared a screenshot with the Morning Post in which Ludwig apologizes for interrupting the gathering and asking for food.
Although this was maybe not the best occasion to crash and ask for food, it did not offend anyone and it actually ended very wholesomely. No harm, no foul.
