Field notes

Eco-burials for China as space runs out

Ashes are put in biodegradable urns under a meadow. But some are upset by this move away from traditional funeral practices.

China is running out of space to bury its dead, so cities like Beijing have come up with new burial methods that take up less space. Natural ash burials involve placing the ashes of the dead in biodegradable urns, before burying them in a meadow.
The remains of close to 800 people who have died in the past year are buried in this meadow at the Beijing Eternal Memory Park. Their ashes have been placed in biodegradable urns and buried in the ground. In time, the urns will decompose and no trace
The remains of close to 800 people who have died in the past year are buried in this meadow at the Beijing Eternal Memory Park. Their ashes have been placed in biodegradable urns and buried in the ground. In time, the urns will decompose and no traces of the bodies will remain. ST PHOTO: DANSON CHEONG
Danson Cheong
China Correspondent
Updated
Jun 18, 2018, 12:41 AM
Published
Jun 16, 2018, 05:00 AM
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BEIJING • A light breeze carries birdsong over closely cropped hedges. Nearby, water trickles into a pond beside a leafy meadow.

This could be a quiet, serene park in Beijing, except that beneath the grass lies a cemetery.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 16, 2018, with the headline Eco-burials for China as space runs out . Subscribe

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