A funeral home in southwestern China’s Guizhou province has unexpectedly become a foodie hotspot after its canteen’s noodle dish went viral on social media.
The canteen at the Erlong Funeral Home meant for grieving families serves inexpensive but apparently delicious noodles, particularly a version that comes topped with minced pork and peanuts.
Foodies have been posing as mourners to eat from the canteen as it is not open to the public.
The rice noodles served for breakfast and late at night have become so popular that wait times now reach an hour, local media reported.
The craze started after a local blogger shared in February that his mother had taken him there for a meal.
“At first, I was hesitant because it is quite far from downtown, but my mother was adamant,” he said. “After trying the rice noodles, I found them absolutely delicious.”
“Many people rave about our rice noodles because our chefs are exceptionally skilled,” a funeral home worker told the South China Morning Post. “We use only fresh ingredients, our broth is simmered with pig bones for hours, and our chilli sauces come from a secret recipe.”
Although the dish brings in substantial revenue, an employee at the canteen initially said they had no plans to open to the public.
However, the BBC later reported the funeral home would offer 50 bowls of the noodles to some members of the public at its premises, provided they did not disturb genuine mourners.
Videos showing the sought-after rice noodles and the long queues at the funeral home have amassed over five million views on a major Chinese social media platform.
“Their chefs could start a restaurant on their own, calling it Funeral Home Rice Noodles,” one user wrote on Xiaohongshu.
“My friend says the food at this funeral home is so good. The queue for food is longer than the queue to lay flowers for the deceased,” another said.
“I didn’t get to eat the noodles, because my friend’s mum didn’t know anyone who was holding a funeral service.”
The unexpected dining craze has sparked a flood of humorous reactions, with users joking about the irony of lining up for food at a place meant for mourning and reflecting on the fleeting nature of life over a bowl of noodles.
On Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, a user posted a photo of the dining hall’s tickets alongside an image of a crowd waiting in line for food. “I heard the noodles here were very good,” they wrote, according to the BBC. “I thought about how short life was and got another bowl.”
