Chinese funeral couplets (wǎnlián): format and examples
A funeral couplet (wǎnlián) is a pair of mourning lines with a header, hung in the memorial hall. This guide explains the form and gives common examples.
What is a funeral couplet?
Two matched lines — equal in length, parallel in structure and balanced in tone — praising the person's character or life, topped by a short header such as 永垂不朽 (“forever remembered”).
Common examples
Header, then the paired lines:
永垂不朽 — 音容宛在 / 风范长存
德泽长存 — 一生俭朴留典范 / 半世勤劳传家风