China: People eagerly line up to try... dying in a crematorium.

Have you ever tried to imagine what death might be like?

The chamber was surrounded by artificial flames, with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. (Image: Internet)

Experiencing death is no longer a novelty in the world, with Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Spain all successively launching "simulated death" services in accordance with their national traditions and beliefs. Recently, the people of China have been abuzz with excitement over the country's first "simulated death" service.

Accordingly, this "simulated death" service is located in the Xintiandi district of Shanghai, in a museum called Xinglai (meaning "resurrection" in Chinese). Aimed at providing an experience of death and resurrection, thereby offering people a completely new perspective on life, the museum promises to attract a large number of visitors.

According to local newspapers, 12 people participate in the "death experience" at a time, and the first day alone received 40 bookings. Soon after, so many people quickly booked for this bizarre experience that within a short time, the number of reservations filled up for two weeks.

Here, visitors begin with a game designed to evoke thoughts about life before being led through a chamber surrounded by artificial flames reaching temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius, simulating the moment a deceased person is placed in a crematorium. Finally, visitors are reborn by passing through a plastic tube and emerging – symbolizing the birth of a fetus. Each visitor reportedly pays 444 yuan (approximately 1.5 million VND) for this "simulated death" experience. Ding Rui, the founder of Xinglai, shared: "Because we don't know what death will be like, the fear of death seems immense."

The Gate of Rebirth in Xinglai. (Image: Screenshot from a video clip)

Despite being created with a positive message about human life and receiving public attention, this simulated death experience has not been without negative comments on some Chinese forums. One user named iFantast said, "People have too much money and don't know what to do with it." Another added, "It seems like people don't want to live anymore, do they?"

Previously, the founders of Xinglai announced that April 4th would be the opening date of the museum, because the number 4 in Chinese sounds similar to the word for "death." April 4th is also the first day of Qingming Festival - an occasion for the living to remember the deceased and their ancestors.

According to a 2014 CNN article, the Xinglai Museum was originally developed by investors as a model for the popular "escape room" game, where participants must complete multiple rounds of challenges without being "killed" midway. However, after raising 410,000 yuan through jue.so – a crowdfunding website in China – the research team had to revise the entire plan due to a budget shortfall. Ultimately, Xinglai was rebuilt from scratch in April 2015 and opened to the public in its current form as a "fake death" museum.

According to Thegioitre.