They embody the spirit of honoring the deceased and remembering our ancestors under the philosophy of green burial through public service and innovation.

In recent years, Guangdong has actively embraced the principles of “green and civilized funeral practices” and “land‑saving, eco‑friendly burial.” Since 2014, the province has launched land‑saving, eco‑friendly burial initiatives, including sea burial of ashes, forest‑returning (tree burial), and the Life Crystal project, providing such services to more than 11,000 deceased individuals to date.

This year, guided by the service philosophy of “green land conservation, eco‑friendly burial practices, fostering positive social change, and benefiting the public,” we have meticulously designed a series of public‑interest burial and joint memorial ceremonies that are environmentally sustainable, diverse in form, and rich in meaning. By introducing innovative service approaches, we have deepened the public’s understanding of social transformation and green, civilized funeral practices.

Public-benefit burials and communal memorial ceremonies are warm and deeply rooted in human compassion.

On March 26, the Ecological Burial Service Center and the Conghua District Funeral Home in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, jointly held a “Ecological Burial, Hearts Connected to Conghua” sea‑scattering ceremony for 166 sets of unclaimed ashes.

From April 2 to 4, three collective Qingming memorial events were jointly held with the Haikou Funeral Home in Hainan Province, attracting more than 60 family members of the deceased. The venues were adorned with fresh flowers, and participants expressed their remembrance of departed loved ones by writing messages on prayer plaques. In addition, biodegradable materials such as water‑soluble paper were used to underscore an eco‑friendly approach. All three events were live‑streamed, with two of them broadcast in full via a Douyin account. The photo‑based livestreams garnered over 150,000 views, while the video streams received more than 53,000 likes.

After the event concluded, bereaved family members unanimously remarked, “Compared with individual memorial rites, the collective ceremony had a far more profound emotional impact on me.” “The event’s program and every little detail were meticulously planned; the staff put in so much care and thoughtfulness.” “Will the collective memorial service be held again next year? I’d love to attend then as well.”

Chen Jian stated, “This event marks a return to and continuation of traditional Chinese sacrificial rites, while also serving as an educational initiative on funeral culture. We hope to continue hosting such events in the future, becoming both practitioners and advocates of civilized mourning practices.”

On April 15, at the Guangning Cixiao Garden, a solemn ceremony marking the launch of the garden’s tree‑burial memorial park and a collective interment of unclaimed ashes was held. Spinning windmills and fragrant, delicate flowers transformed the venue into an exceptionally warm and picturesque setting. Amid the attention and well-wishes of guests and the families of 15 “tree‑burial practitioners,” more than 30 unclaimed deceased were laid to rest together. Eight ceremonial officiants offered colorful grains to honor the departed, scattered fragrant petals, released white doves symbolizing love and remembrance, and hung blessing wind chimes, expressing their heartfelt longing and blessings.

Mr. Zhu’s father’s ashes are interred at Guangning Cixiao Garden. Previously, he had hesitated about whether to opt for a space‑saving, eco‑friendly tree burial ceremony. After attending this event, he became even more resolute in his decision and hopes that, on the day of the service, funeral staff will also offer five grains, scatter flower petals, and hang prayer‑blessing wind chimes in honor of his father.

On April 20, the Guangzhou Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, the Municipal Civilization Office, and the Baiyunshan Scenic Area Administration jointly held the “Baiyun Mountains Stand Tall, Siyu Garden Bears Witness; Verdant Peaks Keep Company, Trees Serve as Monuments” Baiyunshan Siyu Garden Qingming Commemoration Event 2021 at Siyu Square on Baiyun Mountain, paying tribute to ancestors and expressing gratitude to those who made significant contributions to funeral reform and space‑saving, eco‑friendly burial practices.

The scene of the “2021 Qingming Joint Memorial Ceremony at Siyuan on Baiyun Mountain” in Baiyun District, Guangzhou.

On April 26, the Guangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau held the “Ecological Burial Benefits Future Generations, Blue Seas and Azure Skies Commemorate Together” 2021 ash‑scattering-at‑sea memorial event, paying tribute to and honoring the 27,317 deceased whose ashes have been scattered at sea since 1988. A solemn ceremony was also conducted to bid farewell to this year’s first batch of those whose ashes were scattered at sea, with more than 200 family members in attendance.

Guangdong Province is committed to integrating modern technology, China’s time-honored traditional funeral culture, and the green, civilized principles of contemporary funeral practices, continuously innovating its services to provide the public with more diversified, safe, high-quality, and compassionate modern funeral offerings.