Green burials promoted to save land and energy

Authorities are trying to persuade people to break with traditional ways of dealing with the dead, as Li Hongyang reports from Zhengzhou, Henan province.

Sharp-eyed travelers on the railroad from Beijing to central Henan province will notice several barren grave mounds scattered across the fresh green wheat fields alongside the track. Some stand alone, while others are in clusters, but all are graced by a pine tree or a headstone.

"The mounds are just like pimples dotted on a girl's face. It's a kind of deep-rooted tradition in the area to bury people in their fields. However, this means graves not only occupy arable land, but also pose a threat to crop safety," said Yang Hu, director of the department of funerals and burials at the civil affairs bureau in Zhengzhou, Henan.