Strangers Are Posing as Funeral Mourners to Get a Taste of Mortuary’s Viral Chinese Noodles

A funeral home in China has become an unexpected food destination after its noodle dish went viral, prompting people to pose as mourners just to get a taste.

The Erlong Funeral Home in Guizhou province originally served meals only to grieving families attending services, the BBC reported.

However, its canteen’s inexpensive yet flavorful noodles, particularly a popular dish topped with minced pork and peanuts, gained attention after a social media user raved about them earlier this month.

As word spread online, more and more curious foodies began sneaking in, pretending to be mourners to access the canteen. With increasing virality, lines for the funeral home’s food grew longer, at times exceeding the lines of those attending memorial services.

Initially, the funeral home attempted to restrict access, but given the overwhelming interest, they decided to compromise—offering 50 free bowls of noodles daily to select members of the public, provided they did not disrupt services.

The bizarre trend has sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media, with millions of views on Douyin, which some have referred to as China’s version of TikTok.