As the Chinese observe the Qing Ming festival honoring the dead, a man in Jiaxing, near Shanghai, attempted to auction his soul...

on Taobao, China's top auction Web site, says Reuters. The 29-year-old attracted 58 bids from "soul-searching buyers" before the post was pulled.

"We reviewed Taobao's policies and realized we had no specific policy on the selling of souls," said Porter Erisman, a spokesman for Taobao's parent, Yahoo-backed Alibaba.com. "After some discussion, we decided that we will allow the member to sell his soul on Taobao, but only if he can provide written permission from a 'higher authority."

No word on how much cash bidders were willing to pony up. But for those of you interested in furthering the concept, free quotes here.