According to traditional Chinese beliefs, having a proper burial ceremony is the correct way to treat the dead. (Photo : Getty Images)
Eco-burials are becoming a popular alternative for traditional burial ceremonies among Chinese public officials as the country's graveyards continue to get filled up, China Daily reported.
According to traditional Chinese beliefs, "burial is the correct way to treat the dead," hence, the heavy investment people in China put in their loved ones' tombs.
Nonetheless, this has paved the way for tomb congestion in various cemeteries in the country, especially in key Chinese cities such as Beijing.
An official report shows that last year, the average cost of a funeral service in the Chinese capital reached 70,000 yuan.
Because of land scarcity, grave plots have also become expensive, Qiao Kuanyuan, an expert with the China Funeral Association, pointed out.
In light of this matter, the Chinese government has called for eco-friendly alternatives, which have been countered by conventional beliefs. These suggestions include burying ashes under trees or scattering them in the sea.
Hang Juan, a publicity officer from the Nanjing funeral reform and management department, noted that the city is eyeing for more campaigns encouraging its residents to choose environmental-friendly burial alternatives.
However, some Chinese are opting to hold burials in their respective neighboring cities so as to continue their traditional beliefs. For instance, 80 percent of the plots in the cemeteries of Hebei Province are sold to Beijing residents.
An employee of the Lingshan Pagoda Cemetery surnamed Chen revealed that a third of the cemetery's 30,000 plots have already been purchased.
Chen said that compared with those in Beijing, "tombs [in the cemetery] are much bigger."
This increase in burial activities has already been reflected to the companies' accounts, which shows extremely high profit margins. In 2015, Fucheng Wufeng, the cemetery's parent company, reported an 83.3-percent gross profit margin.
The China Daily article stated that the firm aims to make a 100-million-yuan profit this 2016.
The 50-hectare Lingshan Cemetery is located in Hebei's Sanhe City, 50 kilometers away from the Chinese capital.
Other large cemeteries can also be found in the province's Yixian County and Zhuohou City.
