The family of an elderly man who died at 87 years old received an unexpected guest at his funeral in Liaoning, China.

A video circulating online showed a wild red-crowned crane gingerly walking into the mourning hall in broad daylight and bowing its head in front of the coffin on Apr. 15.

Bowed in front of the coffin

The red-crowned crane did not behave in an unruly manner at the funeral.

Like a polite (albeit uninvited) visitor, the bird walked slowly into the family home in Panjin.

It even waited for its turn behind a man who had arrived earlier and was kneeling in front of the coffin to pay respects.

The crane bowed in front of the altar and coffin before slowly making its way out of the hall.

Of course, the bereaved family could not turn away such a polite guest despite their surprise.

Instead, they bought corn, vegetables, and live fish to entertain the unconventional but respectful visitor, the deceased's son-in-law told Chinese media.

He added that after the crane paid its respects in the mourning hall, it made its way to the deceased's bedroom where it lingered for the rest of the afternoon before flying off after 4pm.

Regarded as a good omen

In Chinese mythology, cranes are a symbol of longevity.

They are also represented as a divine bird that can travel between heaven and earth.

In addition, the phrase "驾鹤西去", which literally translates to riding the crane to the West, is a respectful euphemism for death.

Some netizens pointed out how the phrase was manifested through the crane's attendance of the funeral.

This phenomenon is regarded as a good omen, and some viewers believed that it was due to the good karma that the man had accumulated before his death.

Crane unlikely to be paid actor

The Panjin Forestry and Wetland Conservation Administration responded to Chinese media queries and verified that the red-crowned crane in the video is real.

Panjin is home to many cranes, including those that were raised by humans before being released into the wild, they said, adding that it might explain why the crane showed up at the home and appeared to be unfazed by humans.

The cranes coexist peacefully with the people in Panjin, who see it as a sign of auspiciousness.

The administration team will intervene if a crane accidentally consumes the crops of the local residents, the administration added.

They also debunked the rumour that the crane was part of a paid service by the funeral parlour as the red-crowned crane is a first-class protected animal in China.

Red-crowned crane

Among the rarest cranes in the world, the red-crowned crane is classified as vulnerable, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

For the past 30 years, a reserve area and breeding centre for red-crowned cranes in Panjin City in the Liaoning province has helped to protect and increase the population of these birds from three to over 200.

Since 2021, the local government has implemented a five-year-plan with the goal of growing the non-migratory red-crowned crane population to 500.

Click here for more information about the reserve area and breeding centre for red-crowned cranes in Panjin.

Top images via Chinese media.