(chinadaily.com.cn)
A woman tidies chrysanthemums, commonly used for mourning in China, at a flower fair in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, on Monday, March 28, 2011, about a week before Tomb-sweeping Day. [Photo/Xinhua]
* No eternal rest; burial plots come with 20-year renewal fees
* Old habits die hard as China labors to promote eco-burial
* Greed lurks in the graveyard, coveting the death industry
When the heavens send for the soul, the departure is for good. But as for the cinerary urns planted in China's urban cemeteries, the peace lasts no more than 20 years. For anything longer, relatives of the deceased will have to keep paying extra fees.
In accordance with government plans, China's urban cemeteries belong to the service industry and are run as operational businesses. Only those in rural areas are run by public welfare, offering free burial plots.
Debates over urban cemeteries' extra fees, which come on top of exorbitant original plot payments, emerged on the Internet after a few notices of overdue cemetery bills turned up in several Chinese cities.
