This Day, That Year

Item from Oct 21, 1988, in China Daily: Extravagant funerals like the one pictured above in Jincheng, Shanxi province, are widespread in China, especially in the outlying and underdeveloped areas. Despite the central government call for an end to what it calls "wasteful superstition", many families still spend thousands of yuan on funerals while neglecting the daily needs of the living.

With land for cemeteries priced at a premium and traditional burial costs rising, authorities in many cities in China are promoting eco-friendly funerals, including burials where the ashes of the departed are scattered at sea.

By the end of last year, about 12,650 sea burials were registered in Beijing alone, official figures showed. The total number of eco-friendly burials reached more than 78,000.