Unclaimed ashes get proper burial
636 people whose cremains were unclaimed, in some cases for years, received a dignified funeral and burial in Xuchang, Henan province
This was a special funeral.
The deceased did not have the companionship of family members, but many strangers came to say farewell.
On March 16, a grand and solemn funeral was held at Yuhuangling Cemetery in Xuchang, Henan province. It was for 636 departed whose cremains had been kept in the cemetery for up to two decades but had not been claimed by family members.
After the cemetery tried in vain to find family members of the departed, the cemetery organized the burial ceremony to help the deceased rest in peace.
Escorted by cemetery staff members, the cremation urns were buried in a grave surrounded by cypress trees.
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Holding cremation urns, staff members make their way slowly through Yuhuangling Cemetery in Xuchang, Henan province, during a funeral on March 16. Photos by Niu Shupei and Shen Shaoxin / for China Daily |
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Cremation urns are taken from a room where they have been kept temporarily. |
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The unclaimed cremains are buried together in a grave. |
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A cemetery staff member wipes a gravestone engraved with the names of the 636 departed people. |
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Wreaths are laid in front of the grave of the unclaimed cremains. |
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Cemetery staff members scatter flower petals over the grave. |
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Paper cranes are used as decorations for the funeral. |
(China Daily 04/05/2014 page6)
