Ashes to ashes ... or into outer space Stored in a statue

A company in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, used to make statues of the deceased from photographs and conceal the ashes inside. Owner Zhu Jun said he came up with the idea several years ago when he tried to find another way to preserve the ashes of his parents.

The statues would cost anywhere from 3,000 yuan ($480) to several million yuan, depending on the materials used. But Zhu suspended his business half a year ago after finding few customers. "Maybe I will re-launch the service when more people find it acceptable."

Buried under a plant