Sea burials see rising waves of acceptance

SHANGHAI - As he puts the deceased to rest, Zheng Jixiong also has to put to rest the concerns many people have about burying their loved ones at sea.

"Years ago, my customers wouldn't tell their neighbors about sea burial, as if they had done something disrespectful to their lost family members," said Zheng, who has been working in the burial service industry for nearly three decades.

During that time, the number of families seeking sea burial in Shanghai has increased from about 300 a year in the early 1990s to more than 2,000 a year now.