Lanzhou allows public to witness cremations

A funeral parlor in Lanzhou, Gansu province, has introduced a new service allowing family members to witness the cremation of their loved ones, aiming to enhance operational transparency.

The city's civil affairs bureau said the first family-monitored cremation took place on Aug 15 at the Lanzhou Funeral Parlor.

Family members can volunteer to witness the cremation. They are required to sign a liability waiver confirming that they are fit for the task and do not have any health conditions, such as heart problems, that would make them unsuitable for the role. Observers are accompanied by staff members into the crematorium to bid farewell before the cremation begins.

The initiative aims to provide the public with an "up-close "view of the working environment and responsibilities of funeral service workers, a profession often stigmatized due to cultural taboos surrounding death.

The bureau said the move is part of broader efforts to present a more transparent and open image of the funeral industry.

The decision to allow families to oversee the cremation process has sparked mixed reactions online. A discussion on the Sina Weibo microblog platform has garnered over 31 million views and more than 2,300 comments.

While some people have welcomed the initiative for providing reassurance, others have expressed concerns that witnessing the process could be distressing.

"Watching as the traces of this person are slowly consumed by the flames, knowing that there will be no trace of them in your life from then on … It's rare for people to be able to bear this, isn't it …," one netizen wrote.

Lanzhou Funeral Parlor declined to comment on Sunday.

Lanzhou has made cremation mandatory in most parts of the city as part of efforts to reform the funeral sector and preserve land.

The local civil affairs bureau has introduced fines for those providing burial services in cremation-only areas, with the manufacture and sale of coffins and other burial items in such areas also subject to penalties.

The cremation rate in China reached 58.8 percent in 2021, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, up from 48.8 percent in 2011.