A young man in Da Nang has taken on an unusual profession known as “grave lantern keeper,” describing his job as serving those who have passed on.

Warming the spirits of the departed

At 4 a.m., amid pounding rain and howling winds, Vo Van Sieu (born 2000, Da Nang) makes his way to a local cemetery to check the flickering oil lamps atop the graves he tends.

Sieu has worked as a grave lantern keeper since 2021.

Before this, he was employed at a Korean-owned sofa manufacturing company. Nine months into the job, the company went bankrupt, leaving him unemployed for an extended period.

One day, after yet another unsuccessful job search, Sieu sat beneath a large tree to rest. A woman in a car approached and asked if he could help repair a relative’s grave. He agreed, and she led him to a tomb in the cemetery.

She explained she was about to leave the country and had come to visit her father’s grave. After Sieu restored the grave, she asked if he could continue caring for it in her absence.

He agreed. That moment marked the beginning of Sieu’s unique bond with this line of work. As word spread about his diligence and sincerity, more families hired him to maintain the graves of their loved ones.

“At first, I didn’t feel cut out for this work,” Sieu admitted. “The early days were tough. I struggled with an unshakable fear. I kept looking over my shoulder, feeling like someone was always watching me.”

“But over time, that fear faded. Now, I genuinely enjoy what I do. I feel like I’m serving the souls of those who have passed.”

Sieu’s duties include sweeping, cleaning, and tending the graves each day. Crucially, he ensures the oil lamps on each grave remain lit around the clock.

Every morning at 4 a.m., he checks the lamps, refills those running low, and relights any that have gone out.

At the end of the day, he makes one final round to confirm every lamp continues to burn through the night.

“There’s a spiritual belief that a constantly burning oil lamp keeps the deceased from feeling cold,” Sieu explained. “So I make sure the lights never go out.”

“I do this job with integrity - for my clients and the souls beneath the graves. No matter the weather, the lamps I care for stay lit 24/7.”

Spreading respect for ancestors and traditions

From maintaining grave lamps, Sieu has also taken on work building granite tombs. When clients need full burial services, he handles grave digging, construction, and finishing.

Once completed, he often continues caring for the grave on a monthly basis. His standard fee is 250,000 VND (approximately $10.00 USD) per grave each month. Still, he only earns around 5 million VND (about $200 USD) monthly.

Beyond the paid services, Sieu voluntarily cleans and maintains unvisited graves, including those of abandoned infants and fetuses.

For these graves, he lights incense, pulls weeds, fills sunken soil, and repairs damaged markers.

“Every year, some mothers come to burn incense for their lost children. When they ask me to care for their babies’ graves, they often request I tend to nearby graves of other abandoned infants as well,” he shared.

“The money I receive barely covers incense and oil. But I still care for these graves just as I would any paid ones. I treat it as an act of charity.”

Recently, Sieu began filming his daily routines and posting them online. In his videos, he talks about his love for this unlikely profession, typically associated with older individuals.

“Some people look down on this work,” he said. “But I don’t feel ashamed. Every lamp I light is like warming the soul beneath it. Every time I clean a grave, I’m ensuring someone rests in peace.”

“Through this job, I hope to remind young people to honor their ancestors. Show care to your parents and grandparents while they’re alive - and tend to their resting places when they’re gone.”

Ha Nguyen