A new scheme is scheduled to be launched next month that will transform human ashes into jewelry, a senior official from the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau said yesterday.
The process, which will managed by the Shanghai Funeral and Interment Service Center, will allow bereaved relatives to have a permanent reminder of their lost loved ones on their fingers or around their necks, said Gao Jianhua, director of the bureau's funeral and interment management department.
"The ashes are converted into a particulate matter that can then be used in rings or bracelets, or whatever the person wants," he said.
The portability element of the scheme will be of particular interest to people who have to move away from their hometowns for work, "as they will be able to take their dead relatives with them," he said.
It will also be of benefit to the city's planners, as the scheme should help to reduce the demand for land for burials, which is a rising problem in the city, he said.
"We don't know how many people will go for the new option, but at least it adds to the range of choices available to them," Gao said.
In related news, the bureau also said yesterday that it is considering making financial subsidies available to people who choose a land-saving or eco-friendly method of burial for their deceased relatives.
The payments will be made to people who opt to have their remains buried under a tree or in a wall urn, Gao said, adding that similar subsidies are already available to people who opt for burial at sea.
"I probably wouldn't go for being converted into a piece of jewelry as Chinese believe that you can only rest in peace if your ashes are buried," said local woman Yuan Lin.
"But I can accept the idea of being buried under a tree, which is eco-friendly and cheap," she said.
