when it comes to death customs, an unmarried chinese woman has no descendants to worship her or care for her as part of a lineage. in every household, an altar is prominently displayed with the spirit tablets of the paternal ancestors and the images of the gods. a married woman's tablet is kept at the altar of her husband's family. however, should a woman of eligible age pass away unmarried, her family is prohibited from placing her tablet on the altar of her natal home. instead, she will be "given a temporary paper tablet, placed not on the domestic altar but in a corner near the door." hence, the important duty of chinese parents in marrying off their children becomes increasingly important for their daughters. since women are only able to acquire membership in descent lines through marriage, ghost marriage became a viable solution to ensure that unmarried, deceased daughters still had "affiliation to a male descent line" and could be appropriately cared for after death.