Virtual tomb-sweeping

In 2022, over 7 million Chinese users swept their loved one’s digital graves.

Tomb-sweeping is a Chinese tradition where people clean graves, offer flowers, and burn paper money for their ancestors. As people move further and further away from their families, this tradition is at risk of dying down.

Enter virtual tomb-sweeping apps.

There are over 2,000 of these platforms on the Chinese market, most of which operate via WeChat. Users can create a virtual memorial for their loved ones, upload photos and videos, and make donations.

Donations are purchased via WeChat for a small fee, which is how these products make money.

Interestingly, these applications face a challenge similar to most AI companies: fakes.

The Chinese government has had to crack down on some applications that allow users to create memorials for living people without their consent.

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