Recently, the news of the passing of Ms. Jiang, a solitary resident in Hongkou District of Shanghai, has continued to spark discussion on the internet. The latest official response stated that currently, Ms. Jiang does not have a designated heir, and the neighborhood committee will apply to the court to confirm an estate manager. Ms. Jiang’s assets will be received by the civil affairs department, a move that has stirred up a heated debate in the comment section.
According to reports from Dongfang Net, 46-year-old Ms. Jiang, who resided in Hongkou District of Shanghai, suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage in October. Being all alone, she required surgery but fell into a coma and was unable to use her savings to pay for medical expenses. A distant cousin, Mr. Wu, signed to cover the medical fees. After two months of treatment, Ms. Jiang’s condition briefly improved before deteriorating suddenly after being transferred to another hospital, leading to her passing on December 14.
Mr. Wu explained that Ms. Jiang was the granddaughter of his grandfather’s sister. They only met once a year for a reunion dinner. Ms. Jiang never married, had no children, and her parents had also passed away. Her aunt in Lanzhou passed away in April of this year, and her uncle had already passed away around the age of 30. Ms. Jiang had no close relatives around her.
Upon receiving news of Ms. Jiang’s hospitalization, Mr. Wu rushed to the scene to sign for the medical expenses, along with her company, totaling 30,000 yuan. Despite receiving treatment, when she was transferred to a private rehabilitation hospital in Nanxiang, Jiading by Xinhua Hospital on December 8, her condition deteriorated rapidly.
Mr. Wu raised questions about the decision to transfer her, as he couldn’t understand why she was moved from a top-tier hospital to a lesser-known rehabilitation facility.
Local community party secretary Wang Zhenjun mentioned that the choice of hospital transfer was based on Xinhua Hospital’s recommendation, as the neighborhood committee did not specifically designate a hospital.
How will Ms. Jiang’s affairs be handled after her passing?
An official report from the Minhang District Judicial Bureau in Shanghai stated that in the absence of a guardian or heir after Ms. Jiang’s passing, her estate will be received by the civil affairs department.
Both Mr. Wu and Ms. Jiang’s former friends hoped to use her assets to hold a memorial service for her and purchase a burial plot, but a situation that puzzled Mr. Wu arose.
Mr. Wu believed it was reasonable to use Ms. Jiang’s money for her own well-being and thought buying her a burial plot was necessary. However, Wang Zhenjun said that it was not possible and suggested a sea burial at best.
Mr. Wu found this hard to accept, as tradition dictates a proper burial to rest in peace, preferring to have a burial plot instead.
The civil affairs department of Hongkou District mentioned that the expenses for purchasing a burial plot needed to be within a reasonable range, and ongoing maintenance costs would still be borne by Mr. Wu. Such cases similar to Ms. Jiang’s are unprecedented, and the boundaries of reasonable expenditures will need to be determined by the court, with the civil affairs department acting in accordance with the court’s standards as the estate manager.
On December 21, the Hongkou District News Office in Shanghai responded to the matter on their official Weibo account:
Funeral arrangements: The neighborhood committee where Ms. Jiang resided has been in contact with her former workplace and distant relatives, intending to conduct a farewell ceremony by the end of December based on negotiations with relevant parties.
Estate disposal: After preliminary verification, Ms. Jiang currently has no designated heirs. On December 22, the neighborhood committee will apply to the court to confirm an estate manager. If the district civil affairs bureau is designated as the estate manager, they will handle and settle the estate and debts.
The responses from the local neighborhood committee and Shanghai authorities have sparked heated discussions in online comment sections, with many netizens expressing dissatisfaction that Ms. Jiang’s estate is left without heirs, deeming it lacking in humanity.
Some netizens remarked, “The money one earns should be spent on oneself, buying a good burial plot with maintenance fees covered for a hundred years, and then the remaining money can go to the civil affairs department.”
In an article by prominent Netease blogger “Zi Yuan Ban Ni Cheng Zhang,” it was stated that when a person works hard all their life, saves some money, but can’t spend it on oneself, and doesn’t even have the right to choose a burial plot, it’s truly desolate!
The article questioned what should be done about the affairs of elderly individuals who are living alone nowadays? If the money one earns can’t be used for oneself, isn’t it a pitiful situation? Although Ms. Jiang had no children, she diligently paid her social security contributions. Single individuals deserve care and the dignity of a respectful farewell. What is needed are ordinances with warmth and consideration for real circumstances, so as not to leave a cold feeling in people’s hearts.