Vietnamese Graves and Traditions is my entry to the #Cemeteryphotos Challenge by 
Normally it is traditional for Buddhists to cremate their dead, However in Vietnam they bury their dead. One tradition close to Vietnamese life is feng shui, hence the positioning of the graves is very important. If the wrong place is chosen for a grave bad luck could fall on the family.
When a family member dies a procession takes place, transporting the deceased from the family home to the grave, thus begins the transition from the living Family to the ancestors. Ancestors help and protect the family, so the grave needs to be close to the family home.
Usually the graves are in a cemetery at the bottom of the garden or a rice field.
The above and below graves are near a small row of houses in the paddy fields of central Vietnam. The shrine to the left of the graves is where people can leave offerings of food, money, clothes or cigarettes which can be used in their next life.
The mourning period is 3 years, then the graves are dug up, washed, cleaned and put in a smaller casket and reburied in the family garden. During this time, if bad luck falls on the family or their fortune is lost, then the spirit of the ancestors may be to blame and the grave will have to be moved.
Above are some #cemeteryphotos I took while travelling in Vietnam a challenge by
These photos were taken with my Samsung Prime core mobile phone.