By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:22 EST, 28 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:28 EST, 28 September 2012 . A devastated father has kept his 18-year-old son's dead body in a chest freezer for the last six years because it makes him feel he has 'never left'. Tian Xueming, of Huangling, near southern China's giant Chongqing mega-city, has refused all requests to move son Qinyuan's body to a family tomb. And the 54-year-old carpenter has even set up a series of back-up electricity generators to keep the freezer running during the district's frequent power cuts. Mr Xueming said: 'It makes me feel as if my son has never left me. Can't let go: Tian Xueming has kept his son's body frozen for the last six years as he can't bear to be parted from him . Frozen: Mr Xueming has set up back-up electricity generators to keep the freezer running during the frequent power cuts in the area . 'When . my wife and I want to talk to him we can just pull up some chairs, lift . the lid and chat to him as if he had never been taken from us.' Mr Xueming and his wife were . left devastated when they discovered their son had leukaemia - he said . Qinyuan was the only thing which kept the pair going following the death . of their first child. He said: 'After the death of my daughter I gave up my job so I could spend more time with my wife and son.' The married couple's daughter died at home at the age of 15 after she collapsed one hot day in summer. Grief: The family were left devastated when they found out their son was dying of leukaemia . He said: 'It took ages for the . ambulance to arrive and I blamed myself - by the time rescuers arrived . there was nothing else that could be done to save her. 'I should have taken her to hospital myself but I kept thinking they would arrive at any minute - I will never forgive myself. 'My son was the only thing that was keeping us going.' Mr Xueming said his 'clever' son had just started college, where he was doing well, before they learned he was seriously ill. 'Then just a short while later we received the terrible news that Qinyuan was sick and after tests we found out he had leukaemia, and that there was nothing more that could be done to save him', he said. 'We were devastated. We visited many doctors but there was nothing else we could do. 'I just prayed we would not lose him. 'When he died I just couldn't face never seeing my child again so we decided to put him in a freezer to preserve his body.' Mr Xueming . came up with the idea of keeping his son's body in the freezer shortly . after he died. He consulted his wife who also thought it would be a good . idea. He said: 'Not many people knew at first what we had done as we did not want . anyone to find out. We kept it a secret for a long time. But over the . years the news spread. 'People have tried to persuade us to bury Qinyuan but I always say no.' Mr Xueming and his wife still visit their son's body, which they say helps them to deal with their problems. Tragic: Mr Xueming said his son was the only thing which kept him and his wife going following the death of their first child . He said: 'My wife Yang Hongying visits our son regularly too. Since Qinyuan . died she has problems. Whenever she cannot sleep she goes to the . freezer, opens it up and says hello. 'My son would be 24-years-old now - he would be at college and enjoying the prime of his life. 'I just cannot bear the though that I would never see him again. Private: The couple kept their son's unusual burial arrangement a secret for a long time, but over time news began to spread around their home town . One neighbour told local people that the parents said having him there . was as if he was still alive, as if he was having a long sleep. She said the pair sometimes spend hours there together just thinking about the good times they spent together as a family. Mr Xueming said: 'One day the time will come when his mother and I can . no longer look after him and we will then give him a proper burial, but . now is not the time. 'When the time is right we will give him the most dignified burial and . have a celebration of his life, and invite everyone to pay there . respects to him. But later.'
Father Tian Xueming has kept dead son's body frozen for six years .
Mr Xueming and his wife have lost both their children at young ages .
The couple visit son Qinyuan's body to cope with loss .
Originally kept it secret, but over time news spread .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:22 EST, 28 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:28 EST, 28 September 2012 . A devastated father has kept his 18-year-old son's dead body in a chest freezer for the last six years because it makes him feel he has 'never left'. Tian Xueming, of Huangling, near southern China's giant Chongqing mega-city, has refused all requests to move son Qinyuan's body to a family tomb. And the 54-year-old carpenter has even set up a series of back-up electricity generators to keep the freezer running during the district's frequent power cuts. Mr Xueming said: 'It makes me feel as if my son has never left me. Can't let go: Tian Xueming has kept his son's body frozen for the last six years as he can't bear to be parted from him . Frozen: Mr Xueming has set up back-up electricity generators to keep the freezer running during the frequent power cuts in the area . 'When . my wife and I want to talk to him we can just pull up some chairs, lift . the lid and chat to him as if he had never been taken from us.' Mr Xueming and his wife were . left devastated when they discovered their son had leukaemia - he said . Qinyuan was the only thing which kept the pair going following the death . of their first child. He said: 'After the death of my daughter I gave up my job so I could spend more time with my wife and son.' The married couple's daughter died at home at the age of 15 after she collapsed one hot day in summer. Grief: The family were left devastated when they found out their son was dying of leukaemia . He said: 'It took ages for the . ambulance to arrive and I blamed myself - by the time rescuers arrived . there was nothing else that could be done to save her. 'I should have taken her to hospital myself but I kept thinking they would arrive at any minute - I will never forgive myself. 'My son was the only thing that was keeping us going.' Mr Xueming said his 'clever' son had just started college, where he was doing well, before they learned he was seriously ill. 'Then just a short while later we received the terrible news that Qinyuan was sick and after tests we found out he had leukaemia, and that there was nothing more that could be done to save him', he said. 'We were devastated. We visited many doctors but there was nothing else we could do. 'I just prayed we would not lose him. 'When he died I just couldn't face never seeing my child again so we decided to put him in a freezer to preserve his body.' Mr Xueming . came up with the idea of keeping his son's body in the freezer shortly . after he died. He consulted his wife who also thought it would be a good . idea. He said: 'Not many people knew at first what we had done as we did not want . anyone to find out. We kept it a secret for a long time. But over the . years the news spread. 'People have tried to persuade us to bury Qinyuan but I always say no.' Mr Xueming and his wife still visit their son's body, which they say helps them to deal with their problems. Tragic: Mr Xueming said his son was the only thing which kept him and his wife going following the death of their first child . He said: 'My wife Yang Hongying visits our son regularly too. Since Qinyuan . died she has problems. Whenever she cannot sleep she goes to the . freezer, opens it up and says hello. 'My son would be 24-years-old now - he would be at college and enjoying the prime of his life. 'I just cannot bear the though that I would never see him again. Private: The couple kept their son's unusual burial arrangement a secret for a long time, but over time news began to spread around their home town . One neighbour told local people that the parents said having him there . was as if he was still alive, as if he was having a long sleep. She said the pair sometimes spend hours there together just thinking about the good times they spent together as a family. Mr Xueming said: 'One day the time will come when his mother and I can . no longer look after him and we will then give him a proper burial, but . now is not the time. 'When the time is right we will give him the most dignified burial and . have a celebration of his life, and invite everyone to pay there . respects to him. But later.'
has refused all requests to move son Qinyuan's has kept his son's body frozen for the last six long time. But over the . years the news spread. but I always say no.' Mr Xueming and his wife couple kept their son's unusual burial arrangement a secret for a long time, but over