Death do us part, but more people are casting aside old taboos to dictate what comes next

Death, once a taboo subject in China, is coming out of the shadows, with more people – and even younger people – seeking to make wills to ensure that their assets go to those of their choosing.

The trend is also changing attitudes toward the rituals of death, making funerals a celebration of life alongside a time of grieving.

The China Will Registration Center on March 21 reported that a record 357,512 people nationwide registered wills last year, and the average age of registrants has fallen for about 12 years, from 77.43 to about 67.71.

The numbers, to be sure, are a drop in the bucket. Last year, the number of people 60 years and older hit 310 million, or 22 percent of China's population. It is expected to exceed 400 million by 2033.

As people grow older and family wealth has increased, there is more desire to get one's affairs in order so that an estate can pass more easily to heirs of one's choosing.

"An increasing number of people are aware of will registration and are considering their after-life legacies," said Chen Kai, head of the center.

Shanghai is among the most active cities in terms of will registrations in China. The center said 33,483 people made wills between 2021 and 2014, and nearly 7,900 involved people 39 years and younger.

The Shanghai No. 2 service center in Jing'an District said it recently received a call from a 25-year-old man.

"When will you open?" an anxious Alex Zhang asked, explaining that the sudden death of a family member had got him to thinking he should have a will.

A month ago, Zhang's brother-in-law died in an accident, leaving real estate and other assets. But because he had no will, Zhang's sister wasn't guaranteed as inheritor of his estate because of various family disputes.

"Tomorrow, the unexpected. You never know which one will come first," Zhang said. "I want to plan my inheritance early and prevent family disputes."

Chen Yue, a 27-year-old white-collar informational technology worker in Shanghai also made a will recently.

Employed in work that involves long hours and workweeks, she said she became anxious when she saw reports of exhausted workers who died suddenly.

"I want to leave some guarantees for my parents," she explained.

Her will leaves most of her assets to her parents and some to a friend who will care for them if she isn't around to do so.

"I may be a bit young to register a will," she said. "But life can be unpredictable, and in our industry, overwork is a potential time bomb."

A 36-year-old Internet game broadcaster, here identified by the pseudonym Xiao Zhao, has accumulated a large fan base and holds a live broadcasting account of significant commercial value.

"If I suddenly die, I want my live broadcasting account to go to my younger brother, who also has a passion for gaming," Xiao Zhao said. "I hope this inheritance would not only provide economic support for him but also, in a sense, perpetuate my love for gaming and make it a permanent bond between us."

Amy Zhao, a 28-year-old single woman, has been living with her elderly grandmother since her parents died in an accident in 2018. Having encountered difficulties in inheriting her parents' estate due to lack of a will, Zhao said she doesn't want that to happen if she dies suddenly.

"I made the decision as a way to express gratitude to my grandmother," said Zhao.

Long Yifei, a law professor in law at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said an increasing number of young people view wills as a life-planning tool rather than just a deathbed arrangement.

"They view wills as a means of transferring assets amid complex family ties and diverse property forms," Zhao said. "A will is not just about dividing material wealth; it also embodies their emotional connections."

Yang Lixion, an expert in China's Civil Code laws, agreed.

"Given social and cultural factors, young people are changing their mind about their mortality and paying more attention to the future and their assets," Yang said.

Lu Landi, a Shanghai retiree, said she was a bit surprised when her 36-year-old daughter wanted to follow in her steps and make a will.

"She said she views it as a kind of kind of guarantee," Lu said. "I respect that. Young people have to make their own decisions."

According to a recent white paper on the subject, women tend to make wills more than men. Last year, they accounted for nearly 60 percent of registered wills. Most were "empty nesters," elderly women living alone, childless seniors, and unmarried and remarried individuals.

"This is directly linked to women's changing social concepts, rising status and stronger independence," said Yang. "Compared with men, they want to ensure the proper distribution of assets when they die."

Making wills is most predominant in big population centers – in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, and provinces such as Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

"This is closely related to the outflow of the young and middle-aged populations, and to the loosening of family structures," said the Will Registration Center's Chen.

Between 2017 and 2024, the southern province of Guangdong registered 740 wills from unmarried individuals, accounting for about 28 percent in that category nationwide and exceeding the rates in Beijing and Shanghai.

"Guangdong's marriage culture is relatively open, with higher acceptance of being unmarried, said Fan Zhongquan, director of the center's Guangdong branch. "Making a will has become an important way for them to protect their rights."

In Western countries, wills are fairly commonplace. In most, a will is considered legally valid if it is signed by a testator and two witnesses. Still, wills usually have to go through probate court before the wishes of the deceased are carried out, and wills can be contested at that stage.

The trend toward will-making in China is a radical change from the past, where talking about death or making a will was considered a bad omen. It reflects a shifting, more modern mindset toward leaving one's affairs in order before death.

As attitudes toward death open up, so, too, the attitudes toward the rituals of death.

On a recent weekend in Shanghai, in a flower shop in Xuhui District filled with the aroma of hand-brewed coffee, six young people were love and death. This wasn't a literary salon in a bookstore, but rather a get-together at a venue operated by Fu Shou Yuan International Group, China's largest funeral and cemetery operator. There, people can meet to contemplate life and the passage of time.

"Death is inevitable and saying farewell to a love one is a hard thing to do, but we should love and treasure the time we have together," said Alex Fu, a man in his 30s.

"It is a rare chance to drop our cell phones and sit in gentle discussion, said Lu Yong, a young mother. "I hope this unique and enjoyable experience can help me face life's reality and fragility."

Jane Feng, 23, said death was once a taboo topic in her family.

"But after my grandmother died last year, I started to think about the meaning of life and view death from a new perspective," she said. "Memories flashed back, and this place provides a healing comfort by sharing with others."

Funeral rites, too, are undergoing changes.

When her father died last winter, Chen Jingran, 31, chose a funeral service assisted by an AI technology at Haigang Lingyuan Cemetery in the Pudong New Area. Technology reproduced the voice, appearance and traits of the deceased in a service hosted by a humanoid.

"I once believed death was frightening thing and we were destined to be immersed into sorrow," said Chen. "But I started to gradually accept it, and the replication technology brought me comfort."

Lawn concerts and other events held at city cemeteries are drawing the participation of many young people.

At a recent concert at Shanghai Fushouyuan Cemetery in Qingpu District, attendees were bidding farewell to 11 members of Shanghai Cancer Recovery Club.

"I once shunned talking about death or visiting tombs, but now, I think such lawn concerts make the living explore the meaning of life," said Liu Yun, 35, who attended the concert to honor a departed relative.