The ultimate gift to future generations

Life's inevitable realities often become poignant topics during significant cultural moments, such as the Qingming Festival, which prompts reflection on the cycle of life and death. In China, this period brings attention to the rising costs of burials, as media outlets frequently report on the financial and spatial challenges associated with tomb prices and funeral services.

A peculiar trend involves individuals acquiring residential properties for the exclusive purpose of housing urns containing the ashes of their deceased loved ones, according to media reports. This practice, while innovative, underscores the economic and spatial constraints of traditional burials in metropolitan areas where cemetery plots are not only expensive but also scarce.

The phenomenon of “urn apartments” has emerged, with some residential buildings reportedly housing more deceased occupants than living residents, according to a recent Legal Daily report. These apartments are often located in remote, inexpensive housing communities, offering families a cost-effective and lasting solution for commemorating their loved ones but leaving residents of such communities feel haunted.

The reported shift toward “urn apartments” is driven by the soaring costs of cemetery plots and the associated management fees and limited lease terms prevalent in the burial industry.

The average price of burial plots at cemeteries run by China’s leading funeral company Fu Shou Yuan has risen from 95,400 yuan (US$13,188) to 117,900 yuan, or about 24%, from 2017 to 2022, according to statistics from the company. The funeral spending as share of annual salary in China is 45% as compared to the world average of 10%, as per a CGTN report.

However, the practice of using residential properties as de facto columbaria raises legal and ethical questions. While it may not be illegal to keep ashes of one’s relatives in a residential property, conducting funeral activities that disturb neighbors or infringe upon others’ rights could be against the law. Additionally, using residential properties for private columbaria as a profit-seeking business is illegal and would not be condoned by authorities.

This practice could also negatively impact the living conditions for residents and potentially lower property values. To address these issues, government intervention is necessary to regulate the funeral industry and manage cemetery plot costs and lease durations more effectively.

As land scarcity becomes an increasingly pressing issue in urban Chinese settings, ecological burials present a viable alternative.

Shenzhen has been a pioneer in this regard, offering sea burials since 1998. So far, the ashes of 38,916 deceased people have been scattered at the sea, saving significant land that would have otherwise been used as tombs and relieving financial burdens for their families.

The city has also introduced tree and flower burials, which are gaining acceptance among the populace. On March 28, the ashes of 252 deceased people were buried under flower beds in Jitian Cemetery in Longgang District, during the first flower bed burial ceremony in Shenzhen.

Green burials are also practiced in Hong Kong, where they accounted for 15.4% of burials in 2022, and many other major cities in the country.

While this kind of figures for Shenzhen is not available, it is expected that as residents become more educated, environmentally conscious, and open to new ideas, green burials will become increasingly popular.

This shift not only conserves land and eases financial burdens on families but also aligns with a more sustainable approach to managing death in a metropolitan area.

Minimizing environmental impact after one’s passing stands as the ultimate and most profound gift individuals can bestow upon future generations.

(The author is a deputy editor-in-chief of Shenzhen Daily.)