TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei’s mortuary service is holding a public competition to rename the city’s Second Funeral Parlor.
The mortuary service said on Monday (Nov. 13) that once renovations on the facility are complete, a new name will be chosen for the funeral parlor. A NT$5,500 (US$170) prize will be offered to the winning entry, with runner-up prizes also included.
The service said the competition was being held to increase public interest in the facility. The competition allows individuals to enter as many times as they like.
The mortuary service was seemingly not worried by the possibility of some morbid equivalent of "Boaty McBoat Face" becoming popular, though some have made attempts at humor. The “Taipei Hotel” was suggested by one entrant because the word for funeral home (殯館) and hotel (賓館) are homonyms, only with different tones.
The entry was an interpretation of the “essence of a funeral home,” the entrant wrote. “The funeral parlor serves as temporary accommodation between the human and underworlds, and should make spirits of the deceased feel at home,” they said.
Other options included “Taipei Departure Hall (TPE人生出境航廈)” (as in the kind found at an airport) and “The Hall of Rebirth.” Those wanting to submit their own entries can do so by commenting under the announcement of the competition on the mortuary service’s Facebook page.
Entries have to be made in traditional Chinese characters with an accompanying explanation of their meanings. Committee members will assess the entries on relevance to the funeral service, how easy they are to remember, and their meaning, the mortuary service said.
Entries close on Friday, Nov. 24.
The British research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough cost NT$7.9 billion (US$245 million) and was given that name in defiance of a public poll that overwhelmingly voted to call it "Boaty McBoatface." (Wikimedia Commons, Rodhullandemu photo)
