Price of burials and tombs soaring in China

Tending the graves is important to Chinese, but, population numbers and urbanization are putting a strain on burial sites. Costs have soared, especially in big cities.  

The price of a grave has tripled over the past several years in Beijing. The latest report issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs shows that the some public cemeteries now charge over two hundred thousand Yuan for half a square meter.

Wang Dan has been running a funeral service for three years. He thinks many factors are pushing up the prices.

"The population is too large in China, the number of newly-deceased people is nearly ten million annually and is still increasing by a million every year. The government-run cemeteries are reaching their limits,"

"They have better conditions and services, so it’s not a surprise that the price is high. But it is really rising fast," said Wang Dan, CEO of Bi’An Funeral Service.

Demand is high, especially in populated cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, which are short of land for new cemeteries.

"There is nearly seventy thousand square meters of land for public cemeteries in Shanghai. With 65 thousand traditional tombs added every year. Most public cemeteries will be full in five years," said Zhang Songjie, section Chief of Shanghai Funeral management Dept.

There are many factors that will affect people’s choice of cemetery, and some are deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Although it is changing slowly and new concepts are being introduced. It may take a generation for new concepts to be accepted by people.

Traditionally, people believe being buried is the only way to reach peace after death. So it’s no surprise that many want to buy a tomb for their deceased family members. Many cemeteries are now promoting new ecological burials to ease the strain.

"We will put bone ash into degradable urns and bury them here, then plant trees and flowers on top. The urn will degrade after three months, and so will the bone ash after several years. So theoretically, the land could be reused in the future," said Zhao Xiaohu from Shanghai Fu Shouyuan Cemetery.

However, this type of burial is not liked by everyone. Most Chinese today would still prefer to choose a decent tomb.

"Tradition is dominating the market. New methods such as ecological funerals, are increasing in popularity fast but still hold a very small share compared to traditional funerals," said Wang.

China has a growing aging population. It is estimated that the number of elderly people in the country will reach two hundred million in ten years. It's therefore a government priority to ensure people are able to recent a decent funeral in cities, while promoting ecological funerals as well.