Green burial is gaining popularity in Hong Kong. There were over 4 000 cases of scattering human remains at sea and in the city’s gardens of remembrance in 2015, accounting for 8.7 per cent of total deaths, a significant increase on the 4.6 per cent figure for 2010.

     This reflects a growing acceptance of the concept of returning to nature through green burials.

     Since 2014, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has arranged free memorial sailings during the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung grave-sweeping festivals, enabling people to pay respects to their loved ones whose ashes were scattered at sea.

     News.gov.hk recently spoke to some mourners who use the service and Superintendent of Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

     The story appears on news.gov.hk today (October 9) in text and video format.

Ends/Sunday, October 9, 2016
Issued at HKT 10:11

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