清明雨紛紛，3月26日，在淅淅瀝瀝的小雨中，一場沒有親人參加的集體公益生態葬儀式在杭州的錢江陵園內舉行。為10位孤寡老人骨灰安排的是莊重的花壇安葬儀式，在樂隊的伴奏下，老人的名字被刻在了花壇葬壁中間，陵園還敬獻了鮮花和花籃，使得整場儀式既莊重又溫情。
Hangzhou (CNS) -- Ahead of Tomb Sweeping Day, an "ecological" burial ceremony was held Tuesday for 10 seniors with no family members at east China's Qianjiang Cemetery.
Ecological burials include burials at sea or in the ground that occupy less space than tombs.
In a light rain, with funeral music and flowers, the ashes of the seniors were buried and their names were carved on memorial walls.
The director of the local funeral association said he hoped the public would become more aware of "green" burials, as well as seniors and single people without families.
"In general, more residents are choosing ecological burials compared with past years, but the total number is still small," said a cemetery manager surnamed Zhou.
Such burials accounted for only five percent last year, he added.
Well educated residents and young people usually choose ecological burials, whereas older and less educated Chinese people tend to believe that a tomb burial brings peace to the deceased, Zhou said.
Mid-priced gravesites are selling well at cemeteries in Hangzhou. "The prices of 80 percent of our sold gravesites are around 20,000 yuan (US$3,184), while few people prefer graves below 10,000 yuan," said Guo Jichuan, an employee at Nanshan Cemetery.
"Many complain that it is 'expensive to die,' but they are reluctant to 'die cheaply'," the manager of a Hangzhou cemetery said.
清明雨紛紛，3月26日，在淅淅瀝瀝的小雨中，一場沒有親人參加的集體公益生態葬儀式在杭州的錢江陵園內舉行。為10位孤寡老人骨灰安排的是莊重的花壇安葬儀式，在樂隊的伴奏下，老人的名字被刻在了花壇葬壁中間，陵園還敬獻了鮮花和花籃，使得整場儀式既莊重又溫情。
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