Why Do People Carry a 'Bamboo Staff' at Taiwanese Funerals? It's Not Because They Can't Walk — The Staffs for Father's and Mother's Passing Are Different

When attending a traditional Taiwanese funeral, you may notice family members dressed in mourning clothes carrying a bamboo staff wrapped in hemp or colored cloth. At first glance, it resembles a walking cane used by the elderly, but the person holding it can walk normally — so why carry it throughout the ceremony?

This object is called a 'xiaozhang' (filial staff), also known as 'kuzhang' (crying staff) or 'aizhang' (staff of sorrow), and is part of the traditional mourning attire system. Notably, according to ancient rites, the material of the staff differed depending on whether the father or mother had passed — a distinction that has evolved into various forms in Taiwanese folk practice, including jointed bamboo,苦苓wood, copper staffs, and smooth bamboo. Despite its humble appearance, this staff carries profound cultural meaning about how ancient people understood 'the pain of losing a parent'.

Why do people carry bamboo staffs at Taiwanese funerals? It's called the 'xiaozhang'.

According to the Taiwan Historical Relics Dictionary by the National History Museum, Taiwan, the 'xiaozhang' is also referred to as 'kuzhang' or 'aizhang'. In traditional funeral customs, each male mourner and eldest grandson receives a xiaozhang, which should be carried whenever wearing mourning clothes, and is burned during the removal of mourning attire. During the funeral procession, the xiaozhang may also be placed in the 'hun dou' (spirit urn) along with the spirit tablet, incense, and five-grain spirit money.

It is not a temporary walking aid for elderly or physically weak family members, but a ritual object signifying mourning status and familial relationship. In the traditional mourning system, the fabric of clothing, head coverings, hemp belts, and even whether one carries a staff, all reflect the mourner's relationship to the deceased. But going further back, the reason for using a 'staff' in funerals is tied to the human body.

The xiaozhang truly has a 'supporting' function — but not due to physical weakness.

The Book of Rites: Questions on Mourning directly addresses why a staff is used in funerals, stating that mourners, overwhelmed by grief and weeping, become 'physically ill and weakened', thus needing 'a staff to support their illness'. In ancient understanding, losing a parent was not only an emotional pain but could manifest physically. Prolonged weeping and mourning rituals could weaken the body, necessitating physical support. Thus, the xiaozhang carries dual meanings: one related to 'supporting illness', and another as a status marker within the mourning system. Commentaries on the Book of Rites link the use of the staff to the mourner's status and whether they are the primary mourner. Therefore, when you see a family member carrying a staff at a funeral, it may look like an ordinary cane, but it is connected to an entire system of rules about grief, mourning, and familial roles.

Are different staffs used when a father or mother passes? Ancient tradition had 'bamboo for father, paulownia for mother'.

According to ancient mourning rites, the material of the xiaozhang differed depending on whether the father or mother had died. The Book of Rites: Questions on Mourning and related texts state: 'For the father, use a zhu zhang (coarse bamboo staff)', made of bamboo; 'For the mother, use a xue zhang (shaved staff)', made of paulownia wood. This later became summarized as 'bamboo for father, paulownia for mother'.

Why use a bamboo staff for a father's passing? Classical commentaries offer symbolic explanations: bamboo has joints inside and out and remains unchanged through the four seasons, symbolizing a child's unchanging grief for their father. Another traditional interpretation sees the roundness of bamboo as symbolizing 'heaven'. As for the mother's staff made of paulownia, commentaries suggest 'tong' (paulownia) sounds like 'tong' (same), indicating that grief for the mother is equal to that for the father. These symbols stem from ancient ritual systems and later Confucian interpretations, but actual use also depended on the mourner's status and family circumstances. Over time, folk practices introduced further variations.

In Taiwan, the 'bamboo for father, paulownia for mother' rule is not strictly followed — for mother's passing, you may see苦苓staffs or copper staffs.

The Taiwan Historical Relics Dictionary records that in Taiwan, a jointed bamboo staff tied with five-colored hemp cloth is used for a father's passing, with folk interpretations such as 'father's love has integrity (jie)'. For a mother's passing, copper or苦苓staffs are used, with folk meanings like 'shared hearts' or 'mother's love is boundless'. In modern times, some use smooth, jointless bamboo for a mother's passing.

From the ancient 'bamboo for father, paulownia for mother' to Taiwan's jointed bamboo,苦苓, copper, and jointless bamboo staffs, we see how the form and symbolism of the xiaozhang have evolved across different societies. Taiwanese funeral customs are influenced by region, ethnicity, religious traditions, family practices, and changing times, so actual rituals may be simplified or adjusted. Thus, while all are xiaozhang, their appearance may differ across families.

A single xiaozhang truly marks not 'inability to walk', but the loss of a loved one.

In ancient funeral rites, grief was not meant to be hidden. Coarse hemp clothing, different mourning garments, and the staff in hand transformed 'I have lost someone important' into visible forms others could recognize. Therefore, the bamboo staff at a funeral was never meant to show whether someone could walk well. Rather, ancient people believed that the grief of losing a parent could weaken the body so profoundly that it should be acknowledged and supported by 'ritual' and understood by others.

References: National History Museum, Taiwan, Taiwan Historical Relics Dictionary, 'Xiaozhang'. The Book of Rites: Questions on Mourning, on zhu zhang, xue zhang, and 'physically ill and weakened, thus supported by a staff'. The Book of Rites: Mourning Attire and related commentaries, explaining 'zhu zhang is bamboo; xue zhang is paulownia', mourner status, and symbolic meanings of bamboo and paulownia. ※ Content compiled from public historical records, folk literature, and related research. Funeral customs in Taiwan may vary by ethnicity, religious beliefs, region, family traditions, and era; actual practices and terms should follow local customs and family decisions.