Water and the souls of the dead

In Sin-Yung, natural water is thought to absorb and hold the spirits of anyone that dies in or near it, keeping them trapped on the material plane instead of being able to move onto the afterlife. This may be due to the legend of the Lady of the Lantern, which seems to have come into being around the same time as this belief, but it is equally as likely that the reverse is true. Either way, despite their importance to agriculture and general living, wetlands and water features are treated with reverence and respect in Sin-Yung, with those working on or near them often using little charms and rituals to ward away any bitter or dangerous spirits that may reside there.