Chinese use strippers to attract crowd to funerals

BEIJING: Farmers in east China are using strippers to attract large crowds to funerals, believed to bring honour and luck to the survivors of the deceased, local media report.

The striptease troupes hired by families have been known to bathe in public, perform nude with snakes and even remove the trousers of male viewers and get them to join in the dancing, reported China Central Television (CCTV).

The performances at Donghai and Lianyunggang counties in east China's Jiangsu province have become popular night events, especially among migrant workers.

After the report was aired on CCTV, the police detained five people for organising striptease performances at funerals, reported Xinhua.

The county government issued a notice banning obscene performances at funerals and demanded that details of each funeral be submitted within 12 hours of the death.

The shows had become so competitive that some residents even hosted a rival show opposite the funeral home to attract viewers while rich families would hire two striptease groups to make the funeral more attractive.

The funeral stripteases are a lucrative business, with one boss telling CCTV he earned 200,000 yuan ($25,000) last year while dancers, mostly local women, earned 200 yuan per show.

Now, however, the county is offering a reward of 300 yuan for callers to a hotline reporting obscene performances at funerals.