On 9/4, Chinese social media circulated a video showing a black Mercedes-Benz S450L being lowered by an excavator into a burial plot in Gong Changling district, Liaoyang city, Liaoning province. A red cloth covered the car's roof, and a group of people assisted in placing the vehicle into the grave, replacing traditional paper effigies.

The vehicle bore the license plate "8888", a sequence symbolizing good fortune in China. Following the funeral, the Jin family presented red envelopes containing 500 CNY (approximately 1,7 million VND) to those who assisted. Local media reported that the deceased was an avid car collector, prompting his children to bury a real car with him.

The incident drew public criticism. Many viewed it as an excessive display of wealth and a distortion of traditional customs.

A man burying the car with the deceased. Photo: bilibili.com

Lawyer Wang Peng from Fahuan Law Firm in Beijing stated that while the car was privately owned, burying it without proper liquidation or deregistration procedures violated regulations. This action, in particular, posed a significant environmental risk.

Environmental experts warned that an untreated vehicle buried underground would have lasting consequences. Battery acid, engine oil, and other technical fluids could leak, contaminating soil and groundwater in residential areas.

On 10/4, local authorities announced the formation of an inter-agency task force to address the matter. Investigations revealed that the Jin family performed the ritual due to superstition and a lack of understanding of environmental laws.

Authorities mandated that the family rectify the situation. Instead of a warning, the Jin family was compelled to cover all costs for machinery and labor to exhume the car. Concurrently, they were required to undertake cleanup and site restoration measures according to environmental standards, under government supervision.

Nhat Minh (Source: SCMP, Guancha)