Guangzhou eases limitation on scattering ashes into the sea

GUANGZHOU - Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong province, started to ease the limitation on ashes of the deceased being scattering into the sea as of Monday to allow more people to participate in the activity.

The city noted that starting from Monday the service will not only be open to local permament residents but also to the deceased without local household registration who died and were cremated in the city, according to the city's civil affairs bureau.

An official WeChat account has been opened for the service.

In 1988, Guangzhou was the first in the country to launch the ceremonial scattering of ashes in the sea.

By the end of 2018, the ashes of over 24,000 people in Guangzhou were scattered into the sea.

The funeral industry across China is responding to government calls for space-saving and eco-friendly choices. More and more people opt for scattering the ashes of their loved ones into the sea -- a kind of "green" burial.