ABSTRACT
In China, Daoist monks are special companions of death. They are summoned to officiate at funerals as the souls of the deceased pass into the beyond, and are subsequently entrusted with the worship of the dead over the long term. They also have a sensitive but crucial role to play alongside the living, those left behind to grapple not just with the necessary mourning, but also with the suffering souls of dead people who have failed to make the transition and have become wandering spirits, called gui 鬼.
