Chen decided to build this cemetery in 2000 when he saw a man throw a dead dog into the trash.

The scene kept playing on his mind and he finally decided to change his contracted woodland into a cemetery for pets.

"I figured that the remains of the animals would promote the growth of the trees, and I would also be giving people a way to remember their pets," says Chen.

"Pets establish a deep bond with their owners and a pet cemetery could help continue this emotional link," he adds.

The Zhangs decided to bury their dog in the Baifu cemetery after their first visit.

"I felt my baby would not be lonely if we left him here, for he has many companions," Zhang says.

More than 1,300 pets are buried here and many tombs are surrounded by a small fence decorated with flowers, and a man-made green patch strewn with pet toys such as bones and other chewables. The tombstones comprise two parts - one has the pet's photo with its name and the other, the owners' eulogy.

While almost every tombstone has words expressing the owners' love, a poet from Taiwan has inscribed two poems on the back of the tombstones for his two dogs.

Zhang is also planning to spruce up her dog's tomb, on which she has already spent more than 8,000 yuan ($1,170).

"I want to replace the green patch with bricks as the color can fade in the rain," she says.

Like at a cemetery for human bodies, Baifu too offers services such as a mortician and a tombstone carver.