Summary: Longhua Funeral Home Sunshine Team, a group of people who "plant stars" in reality. The currently being screened movie "Life Events" has once again brought the profession of mortician into the public eye. Different from the one-stop mundane services that the characters i

summary: Longhua Funeral Home Sunshine Fleet, a group of people who "plant stars" in reality.

The currently being screened movie " Life Events" has once again brought the profession of mortician into the public eye. Different from the one-stop mundane services that the characters in the play engage in, in Shanghai, funeral director is a general professional concept, which includes undertakers, funeral directors, body transporters and other subdivisions. The Shanghai Longhua Funeral Home Fleet, which won the 2022 National Worker Pioneer Award, is known as the "Sunshine Fleet" in the industry. They serve 24 hours a day, shuttle through the streets and alleys of Shanghai day and night, and undertake 24,000 pick-up and drop-off tasks every year. , send the last journey to the deceased.

(Chen Lang)

Rigorous and meticulous

Corpse transporter, although niche and slightly secretive, in this profession that requires strength and courage, there are actually always energetic young people joining. Chen Lang, born in 1985, who was interviewed by reporters, is the youth representative of the team.

is somewhat similar to Mo Sanmei, played by Zhu Yilong in the movie. Chen Langqia, who is thin and tall, also has a rounded head. Ten years ago, she crossed over from the postal industry to the funeral industry. He told reporters that he had never been exposed to it in the past, and he must have been scared at first, but it only took a week to adapt. "Maybe I am more courageous."

In the subdivided positions of Longhua Funeral Home, fleet pick-up Workers are the most front-line workers. The deceased's home, nursing home and hospital are the places they visit most often. In addition, at the scenes of some unexpected accidents, in addition to police and forensic doctors, there are also body transporters.

The deceased is the most important person, and the transportation work has a standardized and rigorous series of procedures. In order to prevent any possible mistakes, the staff must be cautious. Chen Lang told reporters that every time before leaving the vehicle, the vehicle should be inspected for safety, sanitation and hygiene, and all necessary items should be prepared. During the transportation process, the body must be handled with care, especially before bagging and sealing, and a preliminary inspection must be carried out to "check whether there are obvious injuries to the body parts, etc."

The director of "Life Events" would like to The movie expresses the romantic sentiments of Chinese people's view of death. Chen Lang responded that as a service for the dead and the living, the team has been thinking about how to embody a sense of ritual and a warm human touch in addition to procedural work. When faced with family members who are in extreme emotional pain, transporters should empathize with them and offer comfort and sympathy. Before each drive, the pick-up crew and family members will bow three times to the body. Many family members proposed to accompany the deceased to "go home once more" before going to the funeral home. As long as circumstances permit, the fleet will comply with family members' requests and provide "Bring Love Home" services regardless of distance.

(Song Zhenwei)

Warm-hearted service wins recognition

During the epidemic, compared with other departments, the fleet was the busiest department in Longhua Funeral Home.

team leader Song Zhenwei and more than 40 team members stayed in the museum for more than two months. He said that he has been in the industry for more than 20 years and has experienced many mixed feelings in the profession, but the one that impressed him most was the transportation work during the epidemic.

"Each of us wore two protective suits, three pairs of gloves, N95 masks, and visors when we got out of the car. It was very uncomfortable at first." Song Zhenwei said, on the contrary, driving and carrying, which accounted for the largest workload in the past, were both It’s not a big deal. “The psychological pressure is very high, so we can’t make any mistakes. If an oversight at work causes the funeral home to be exposed to the sun, I can’t imagine the consequences.”

Sunshine Fleet provides services 24 hours a day, shuttling through the streets and alleys of Shanghai day and night. In this special period, send the last moments of life to each of the deceased. The team's service has won recognition from many family members. In a letter of thanks, the family wrote: "Your employees worked tirelessly and were not afraid of the virus. They rushed to the home at around 3 o'clock in the morning, disinfected the mother carefully and transported her down the narrow and steep stairs... We The whole family is deeply moved...Thank you for bringing warmth and care when we are grieving physically and mentally!"

Innovative research and development improves efficiency

The popularity of a movie has made funeral practitioners "visible" again.But in fact, as a necessary type of work in the socialized industry, they are no longer the unpopular or marginal people in and stereotypes. "Actually, our positions are quite attractive, and there are quite a few people who want to apply." The team leader told reporters that being able to drive and being physically strong are the main job requirements. There is also a practical part in the interview. Some people will be intimidated after experiencing it, but there are also many people like Chen Lang and Song Zhenwei who have a lifelong career once they do it.

Since picking up cargo is a physical job, there are only a handful of female employees in the history of the team. The most recent one has retired after working hard at the job for more than ten years. After being carried around all year round, most of the team members suffer from occupational diseases such as tennis elbow, lumbar disc herniation, and lumbar muscle strain. In order to reduce their labor intensity of going up and downstairs and carrying long distances during the pick-up process, in 2021, the fleet cooperated with a company specializing in the production of funeral supplies to develop a truck that can be used for stairs and elevators. After many adjustments, it has basically met the current requirements, and at the same time, it can effectively avoid unexpected situations during the pick-up and transportation process, and provide humane and dignified services to family members.

Being used to life and death at work, the team members have more motivation to "live well and live seriously" than ordinary people. During the more than two months he was stationed at the museum, Chen Lang, who loves running, won a "half marathon" and a "full marathon" a day around the outdoor venues of the museum as long as he did not get out of the car, running more than 400 kilometers in total. He said with a smile: If life does not stop, we must keep running.

"Life Events" interprets the profession of a mortician as "a person who plants stars" from a child's perspective. "Life education needs to start from childhood." Song Zhenwei, an older generation undertaker, is also looking forward to watching this movie about his career.