Dandong, China is a city of 2.5 million people located in the northeast corner of China. Dandong is the main portal of trade to North Korea. Flower sales in Dandong exploded as mourners purchased yellow and white flowers and headed to the North Korean consulate to show their respect to the fallen North Korean leader. A florist named Sun in Dandong claimed he had been selling tens of thousands of yellow and white flowers to Chinese and North Korean mourners.
South Korean news reported that thousands of chrysanthemums (the traditional Korean flower of mourning) had to be brought in from Shanghai to meet demand.
This outpouring of affection for Kim Jong-Il reinforces the importance of flowers to help the grieving process. Although western media depicts Kim Jong-Il as a despot, it is clear that his life had a profound impact on citizens throughout Asia.
Kim Jong-Il's body was laid out in a resplendid garden of flowers and his hearse was covered in a blanket of chrysanthemums. The importance of flowers at a funeral cannot be overlooked just because Kim Jong-Il was a dictator. What should be noted that millions of people in North Korea are mourning his loss and they are finding solace in fresh flowers.
So when you read 'In Lieu of Flowers' for a Boston funeral, think twice. Millions of impoverished North Koreans know that flowers help ease the pain.