英闻天下——544 "Is China's Cost of Funeral Service Too High?"

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　　But while funeral prices may vary from place to place, the cost of basic funeral services remains² affordable³. Yang Anrong is CEO of Shimenfeng Urban Cemetery⁴ in Wuhan.

 

　　"Currently in China, the average cost for basic funeral services is around 1,000 yuan, but the price for other services can range from free of charge to more than 10-thousand yuan. Generally speaking, the basic service is within a controllable margin⁵, but when it comes to other services, there is much room for unnecessary spending."

 

　　Professor Qiao Kuanyuan from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology explains the situation with an example of funerary urns⁷.

 

　　"The family of the deceased usually buys just one funerary urn⁶, and they always buy one that is a bit more expensive than they can afford to show their love and respect for the deceased. Meanwhile, the salesperson⁸ will try to sell them an expensive one, so the cost of funerary urns is raised by both the family and the salesperson."

 

　　In fact, the beliefs of the Chinese are a main reason for expensive funeral services. For example, the majority of Chinese believe they have to bury their loved ones underground so they can rest in peace. But the cost of burial plots is unreasonably⁹ high. In the city of Jinan, the price of burial plots has doubled in the last five years, with an average of more than 10,000 yuan. In the capital Beijing, the cheapest one costs as much as 36,800 yuan.

 

　　But families aren't entirely¹⁰ to blame. While the prices of funerary items in funeral homes are varied¹¹ and open to customers, the brokers¹² usually provide a package deal with much more expensive choices. If the families of the deceased rely on the brokers, they could end up paying more than they need to.

 

　　Li Bo is an official with China's Ministry¹³ of Civil Affairs. He says customers can file complaints with the Civil Affairs authorities or consumers' association if they encounter unfair deals. But the focus on the government is placed on reforming people's funeral customs and encouraging eco-friendly and land-saving burials.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Laiming.

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