- Lisa Liu left teaching in July 2023 to join the coffin export business in Heze, China
- Heze coffins use lightweight paulownia wood, favored in Italy for cremation practices
- Heze exports 40,000 coffins annually to Europe, earning about US$6 million in revenue
Lisa Liu, 29, from Heze in China's Shandong province, once worked as a teacher. Exhausted and hoarse from the pressure of her job, she decided to change her career in July 2023. After a chance interview, Liu entered the coffin business, focusing on the European market, especially Italy.
Liu explained that her boss gave her a tour of the factory and showed her the entire coffin-making process, from wood cutting to carving and assembly. She said that for the employees, coffins were simply wooden objects, and some even used empty urns as storage boxes at home. Liu said that seeing this dispelled his fears of coffins being "unlucky."
Liu said that compared to the heavy and dark Chinese coffins, Italian coffins are lighter and often feature religious carvings. She explained that in China, only the body is cremated, while in Italy, the coffin is also cremated along with the body.
According to sources, Heze has approximately three million paulownia trees, which are lightweight, less flammable, and have a beautiful texture. These qualities make the wood suitable for the Italian market. According to Jimu News, Heze coffins cost between $90 and $150, which is more affordable than European coffins ($1,100 and $2,100).
Liu said his factory exports approximately 40,000 coffins to Europe each year, generating an annual revenue of approximately 40 million yuan ($6 million).
Despite challenges such as changes in EU policies and rising shipping costs, Liu is optimistic about the future of Heze's coffin industry. She told the media that people die every day, and everyone will eventually need a coffin.
Similarly, Meibezhuang Village in Hebei Province has become an important hub in China's funeral industry. The village streets are lined with shops selling items such as "funeral clothes," "flower garlands," and "body bags." In recent years, villagers have also introduced eco-friendly products, such as biodegradable joss paper and electronic flower garlands, which are sold through e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Young people in Western countries live-stream the burning of joss paper for blessings. Liu explained that a stack of paper notes sells for $15 on a major platform, while in China it costs less than 10 yuan ($2). According to China News Weekly, the annual output value of Meibezhuang's funeral products industry in 2020 exceeded one billion yuan ($145 million).
The annual value of tombstones shipped to Japan from Huai'an, a city in southeastern China known for its granite, is nearly two billion yuan, 36Kr reported.
