Seaside burials are booming in China

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Grieving relatives carry the remains of their loved ones in biodegradable urns on boats. A rather unusual picture in this country. This is now quite common in China.

So-called “funerals at sea” are booming in the Asian country. Groups of people go out to sea and scatter the ashes of their dead relatives in the ocean.

13,000 francs for a grave

Traditionally, the deceased in China are buried in cemeteries. But more and more there is no place for the dead.

The cemeteries are packed: the authorities in the metropolis of Shanghai assume that there will be no free graves to be found within 15 years – unless you pay the equivalent of CHF 13,000 for a grave. Extreme urbanization and aging have led to this situation.

The state encourages citizens to bury at sea

The ceremonies at sea are promoted by the state itself. Citizens are encouraged to be buried at sea by sometimes even receiving monetary rewards from local authorities. These are between 200 and 300 francs.

In addition, advertising slogans can be seen calling on citizens to “take good care of” but “skinny funerals”. This means that citizens should generously provide for their relatives during their lifetime and be sparing with funerals.

“I never thought I would ever make my money this way”

The local Xiao Hu offers the extraordinary funerals. She organized regular boat trips for tourists on the east coast of China. She never thought she would make her money this way, reports The Guardian.

When Hu was first asked if a man could borrow her boat to throw the remains of a loved one into the sea, she refused. She didn’t feel comfortable with it.

After numerous requests, she agreed. Nowadays she organizes several boat trips a week. In particularly busy months, she sails to the East China Sea up to 30 times a month. (A)

Source: Blick