Amid shortage, Hong Kong's 'apartment building for the dead' offers final resting place at $58,000 for two

The dead in China's Hong Kong has a new, lavish place for their final rest. While lavish is rarely an adjective one would use to describe anyone's last resting place, what else could anyone say about a 12-storey tower, with a marble foyer and huge dramatic chandeliers?

Hong Kong struggles with space to keep its dead

The city boasts some 7.3 million residents, who share some of the most densely populated neighbourhoods on the planet.

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As per AFP, in the past, the sheer number of people has meant that families wait for years to secure space for their loved one's ashes.

The situation was further exacerbated by the city's ageing population, which pushed the death rates higher. It further created a dire shortage of urn space, with death rates rising above the government's capacity in the mid-2010s.

To remedy the situation, the Chinese government came up with a policy that brought in the private sector to help ease the pressure on China's death care sector. The new hotel-like columbarium is part of the government's decade-long efforts.

A columbarium with a 'neighbourhood village feel'

The Shan Sum Columbarium opened last month in Hong Kong. It was designed by German architect Ulrich Kirchhoff, who told AFP that he attempted to blend various natural elements to create a high-density space with a "neighbourhood village feel".

He describes the columbarium as "an apartment building for the dead ... It feels more like a close-knit neighbourhood."

As per Kirchhoff, his design was inspired by traditional Chinese graveyards, that can often be found perched on mountainsides.

It eventually aims to offer a final resting place to 23,000 people. As per AFP, in air-conditioned chambers, ashes are stored in ornate compartments, some as small as 26 by 34 centimetres (10 by 13 inches).

Kirchhoff says that in contrast to the cramped confines of a public columbarium, each room in his design is designed to provide intimacy.

"How do we maintain quality of life and dignity for the people in this high density?"

"Is it just a shoebox or is there something else?" he asked.

How much does it cost?

Hong Kong is an expensive city. Much like the high-rent apartments, the final resting places too are expensive.

The basic two-person option in this lavish columbarium costs around $58,000. A top-tier family package can come up to $3 million. In contrast, the median monthly household income in Hong Kong, as per government data, is currently around $3,800, which means this lavish resting place is out of the reach of most people and thousands will remain on the lookout for places to keep their dead.

(With inputs from agencies)

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