China moves to end ‘bone ash’ burials in empty apartments: Here's why
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "China moves to end ‘bone ash’ burials in empty apartments: Here's why")
Representative image. Photograph: (Unsplash)
The new rules also prohibit burials outside officially designated cemeteries or approved ecological burial zones. The announcement comes ahead of the Qingming Festival, a traditional period for paying respects to ancestors.
The Chinese government has cracked down on the rise of bone ash apartments in the country due to skyrocketing burial costs and cemetery shortages. The action of the government came after citizens began using vacant residential apartments in order to store the cremated remains of loved ones instead of using old cemeteries.
High cemetery costs and limited burial space have made purchasing apartments more economical than buying a burial plot. The property prices in China dropped 40 per cent in 2025 compared to 2021 levels. This resulted in converting these properties into private ritual halls or ancestral shrines, often marked by sealed windows and permanently drawn curtains. Meanwhile, burial plots in major cities such as Beijing remain quite expensive and are usually leased for only 20 years, requiring renewal, according to several media reports.
Ecological burial zones
In response, the Chinese government has moved to ban the use of residential properties for storing ashes. The new rules also prohibit burials outside officially designated cemeteries or approved ecological burial zones. The announcement comes ahead of the Qingming Festival, a traditional period for paying respects to ancestors.
Meanwhile, a survey in 2020 disclosed that funerals in China cost approximately half of the average annual salary of an individual. The eco-friendly plots likely to start at 10,000 yuan, and standard tombstones in prime locations are out of range for several people. After the public demand, the Ministry of Civil Affairs is now coming up with rules to manage fraud and transparency in the increased funeral industry to curtail the burden on the masses.
Additionally, the State Administration for Market Regulation has outlined new guidelines for the funeral sector in response to concerns about rising costs. The agency aims to implement measures to curb fraud and improve transparency, helping to ease the financial burden of funeral services on the public.
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