Chinese-Americans disgusted by body display

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- An exhibit showing Chinese bodies and organs is drawing protests from Chinese-Americans who say the display of corpses is offensive to their culture.
Fiona Ma, a Chinese-American San Francisco supervisor, said Friday she is working with city attorneys to draft legislation that will keep exhibits like "The Universe Within" out of the city unless organizers can verify the consent of people who donated the bodies or their families.
"Chinese culture has very strong beliefs about death," said Ma, who represents a heavily Chinese district. "Chinese people are very private and wouldn't want to have their bodies displayed for commercial purposes."
"The Universe Within" -- now on display in San Francisco -- is among a string of exhibits touring the country that have been wildly successful. The collection of bodies and organs was once used to instruct medical students in Beijing.
The corpses were preserved through "plastination," which replaces body fluids with liquid plastic. The plastic is hardened, leaving tissues intact. The bodies can then be displayed without formaldehyde or glass containers.
A recent visit showed bodies propped up like department store mannequins, and individual organs displayed with veins and capillaries intact.
Francisco Hsieh, a retired Chinese-American who visited the exhibit, is advising his friends and family to stay away.
"Chinese people want to keep their whole body when they pass away and no one would want their bodies displayed," he said. "I feel disgusted and terrible ... some parts look like cuts of meat."