The number of Hongkongers choosing green burials over traditional ones has quadrupled over the past decade, but authorities say more efforts are needed to encourage residents to switch to more sustainable methods.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, which is in charge of after-death arrangements, said on Tuesday that the proportion of residents opting for a green burial had increased by 10 per cent since the government introduced the option in 2011.
Green burials involve scattering the cremated ashes of the dead over pebbles in 13 designated memorial gardens or the waters near Tap Mun, Tung Lung Chau and Lamma Island, compared with the conventional method of placing the remains in columbariums.
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Rest in green peace: Hong Kong to urge green burials, but tradition hard to break
In 2023, 9,281 people, or 16.5 per cent of the annual death toll, chose alternative burial methods. Of them, 8,237 chose to have their ashes scattered in memorial gardens, while the remaining 1,144 opted for a sea burial.
This is compared with the 2,335 people, or 5.5 per cent, who chose green burial methods in 2011.
“Hongkongers have become more open to the idea of a green burial,” said Alan Li Kai-lun, senior health inspector of the administration and development branch at the department.
“The growth in numbers is more obvious in the initial period, but the rate has been around 16 per cent of the annual death toll in the past few years.”
While Hongkongers had become more open towards these alternative methods, Li said the department would carry out more promotional activities, such as talks and guided tours to the memorial gardens for the public, to raise awareness on end-of-life planning.
“Focusing on building more public columbariums is not a sustainable policy direction,” Li said. “As of the end of 2023, about 11,000 residents had signed up for a green burial in the central register.”
He encouraged residents to discuss their end-of-life arrangements with their loved ones earlier to clearly communicate their wishes to avoid squabbles.
Li said the government would focus on providing better green burial facilities and services to promote people to make the switch.
These include a private room at the Tsang Tsui Columbarium and Garden of Remembrance in Tuen Mun, which holds Hong Kong’s largest memorial garden at 4,800 sq ft.
The room will come into service later this month, providing a safe space for family members to mourn or conduct simple rituals before scattering the ashes of their loved ones in the garden.
The government has been providing free ferry services for sea burials since 2012 and will be upgrading the online system to allow family members to reschedule their burial dates more conveniently.
Another addition will be a farewell letter cremation service for family members of those who choose a green burial.
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The department worked with local woodwork artist Parry Ling Chin-tang to build a wooden sculpture of a ferry, situated in the memorial garden in Tsang Tsui.
Letterboxes labelled with the burial sites, including the memorial garden and the three sea burial locations, are installed on the sides of the ferry.
Family members can write letters to the deceased and drop them in the letterboxes, which the department will help to cremate regularly.
“Often, people cannot immediately think of what to say to their loved ones when they pass away. Maybe those words will come to them after some time,” Ling said.
“We want to help them convey their thoughts to their loved ones even after time has passed, which will help them through the grieving process.”
More from South China Morning Post:
- Rest in green peace: Hong Kong set to push for green burials amid rise in deaths and columbarium crunch, but tradition hard to break
- Chung Yeung Festival: thousands of Hongkongers flock to mainland China to sweep ancestors’ tombs as border reopening restores tradition for many families
- About 1,600 columbarium niches face removal from historic Tai O temple after Hong Kong authorities refuse licence appeals
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