Be killed, cremated, and reborn for just $90

Tired of living? If you're in Shanghai, you can now pay a new attraction to take care of that "problem" for you.

Opening today (April 4), Samadhi promises to "kill off" participants, "cremate" them, and then let them be "reborn".

The people behind the business in the Chinese city said the 2-hour sessions they offer at the "death simulator" are designed to help people forget their problems and gain a different perspective of life, Reuters reported.

After they're "killed", participants will pass through a mock cremation chamber and see "flames" pass over them. They are then "reborn" through a "latex womb tube".

A participant at a media preview said that the experience gives one a "chance to calm down" and will change one's perspective.

Samadhi plans to conduct two 2-hour sessions each day, four days a week, Voice of America reported.

Death doesn't come cheap

The price of death? Participants pay 444 yuan, or S$90, each.

The price and opening date - on the fourth day in the fourth month of the year - is no coincidence. The Chinese associate death and dying with the number 4 as they are pronounced similarly in Mandarin and various Chinese dialects.

The people behind Samadhi has written in a blog post that it's not an "attraction" in the traditional sense of the word (not a "haunted house" in a theme park), and is not an experience for everyone. Reservations are required and it does not accept walk-in customers.

Difficult birth

It would appear that Samadhi has had a "difficult birth".

According to a timeline on Samadhi's website , the founders started a crowdfunding campaign on a Chinese version of Kickstarter in 2013. They received more than 410,000 yuan in three months.

The project was set to open in September 2014, CNN reported that year.

However, work stopped in October 2014 when "hardware was not up to expectations".

Samadhi started building from scratch again in April 2015, after a redesign.

sinsh@sph.com.sg

See also: Want to pre-plan your funeral?