More Chinese Choose Cremation

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 ◆ More Chinese Choose Cremation

Owing to government funeral reforms,the percentage of Chinese choosing cremation has risen to 47.3 percent, up nearly 10 percent since 1997.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the country now hasa total of nearly 1,500 funeral homes.

Nearly 100 percent of people in the provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang and municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai were now choosing to be cremated.

Meanwhile, nearly 100 million graves have been removed from arable land and alongside railways and roads, recovering over 66,700 hectares of arable land.

Ministry officials said that during the 2001-2005 period, funeral reforms would continue.