Influencer’s ashes STOLEN and sold to strangers for bizarre ‘ghost wedding’ to give her happiness in the afterlife

THE ashes of an influencer who killed herself were stolen by a gang who offered them for a bizarre Chinese ‘ghost wedding’, it was reported. The 25-year-old, who went by the name Luo Xiaomao Maozi, claimed she had been egged on by trolls on Douyin, China’s version of Tik Tok before she died. AsiaWireThe influencer took her own life after she said she was egged on by trolls[/caption] AsiaWireHer ashes were stolen by three crematorium workers[/caption] Her body was cremated in a rural part of her native Shandong province in October. But this week it has emerged her ashes were the stolen by crematorium staff who offered to an unrelated family for a ghost wedding. A ghost wedding is a ritual practiced in rural China involves one or both deceased parties being wed in a ceremony in an ancient custom thought to bring peace for the dead in the afterlife. Three men who worked at the crematorium have now been detained after trying to sell the ashes to a family, Beijing News reports. The paper said the ashes could be worth up to £8200 but the wife of one of the suspects, named Zhang, said the deal fell through. Most read in News SNOW WAY Up to 20 INCHES of snow to hit in days as dramatic map reveals where it will fall LANDMARK CASE Woman, 20, sues mum's GP for millions claiming she should not have been BORN 'DIDN'T DESERVE THIS' Missing teen's bro posts sweet pic as body found & 2 held for murder WHERE'S BOBBI? Body found in hunt for missing teen as 2 men, 24 and 26, held for murder DOUBLE MURDER Former soldier, 34, arrested for murdering couple after 'parking row' WAR OF WORDS Moment mum is abused days before she & husband killed in 'parking row' “Fundamentally it was just to make a little a bit of money and wasn’t a big thing but it’s only because people rush to make it a big deal that it’s become an issue,” she told Beijing News. A police investigation is continuing into the incident. The practice of Ghost Weddings traditionally takes place when a marriage ceremony was not completed due to the sudden death of either the bride or groom. Families also purchase or steal corpses of unmarried individuals if their children die single. The custom has been practised for some 3,000 years and believers say it ensures the unmarried dead are not alone in the afterlife. The wedding ‘ceremony’ will typically involve the funeral plaque of the bride and the groom and a banquet. You're Not Alone EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide. It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123 Movember, www.uk.movember.com Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm   In 2019, the body of a teenager has been stolen from her grave by tomb raiders in Hebei Province in North China. Her family said they believe the corpse of their female relative, who died aged 18, has been stolen for one of these macabre ceremonies. At the site of the woman’s overturned grave, a pair of gloves suspected of belonging to one of the tomb raiders was also found and has been collected by police as evidence. The family revealed strangers had once visited their home offering to purchase their relative’s body to become a “corpse bride” for a ghost wedding. They say they refused the chilling offer.