And yes, funeral processions are a fairly common occurance on the streets of Sanjiang, China. The casket is caught in the middle of the two sides pushing, with the director of funeral activities calling the shots (at left). My interpretation, not from asking anybody, but just from observing, is that the group in the front is supposed to push against the casket as if to say in action that we do not want to accept the death of this family member. And the other side? Well, I guess they push forward because you need somebody to push against. If I were a part of the funeral, I would have a hard time keeping a straight face with all the games going on. Indeed, if you notice, all the "pushers" are young men. It seems more like some kind of strange, foreign game than a funeral.