In recent years, the authorities in Guangshui City, Sui Zhou, Hubei Province, have vigorously promoted the cremation policy and the purchase of cemeteries, which has been met with strong opposition from the local residents. During the Labour Day holiday, thousands of people, including the elderly, in Changling Town, staged protest activities, blocking roads and demanding the government to cancel the policy.
One local resident, Mr. Ding, who participated in the protest, told Epoch Times that on May 1st, around 8:30 in the morning, elderly people and residents who were dissatisfied with the cremation policy held a protest, blocking National Highway 316. In addition to the residents of Changling Town, thousands of people from surrounding towns such as Fuhe Town and Pinglin Town came to show their support.
“It happened to be during the Labour Day holiday, so there were many cars going on trips, causing several hours of traffic congestion,” said Mr. Ding. The angry crowd even assaulted the town mayor and police officers who arrived at the scene.
According to Mr. Ding, about 350 police officers were deployed by the authorities, but no major conflicts occurred.
On January 4, 2024, the Suizhou government issued the “Notice of the People’s Government of Guangshui City on the Implementation of Comprehensive Cremation” (hereinafter referred to as the “Notice”). The “Notice” stipulates that starting from midnight on March 20, 2024, all urban and rural residents’ remains within the administrative area of Guangshui City must be cremated, and the ashes must be either buried or stored in cemeteries. It is strictly prohibited to bury bodies or ashes in coffins.
The official requirements include achieving “three 100%”: 100% coverage of funeral facilities construction rate, 100% cremation rate of remains, and 100% burial rate of ashes in cemeteries.
If one spouse passes away before March 20, and the other spouse passes away after the date, they cannot be buried together in the same tomb.
Mr. Ding mentioned that in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai where there is a lack of land, they have no choice, but in their area, especially in Guangshui, they have land for cemeteries.
“This time everyone is united. Every family has elderly members, and everyone is fighting for the last dignity of the elderly,” he said.
Another resident, Ms. Zhao, said that this is a tradition that has been upheld for five thousand years, and it is a local custom.
She stated that before March 20, many elderly locals took extreme measures. “An elderly person living tens of meters away from my home drowned in a dam. Another one committed suicide by poisoning.”
At the protest site, some elderly people lay on the ground. Mr. Ding said, “They said, ‘Either you crush me to death, I will still die in the hands of your Communist Party.'”
Another focal point of resistance to the policy by the residents is the belief that the government’s requirement to purchase cemeteries involves corruption.
Local media in Suizhou reported that over the past three years, a total of 270 million yuan was invested in building “public welfare” cemeteries at the county, town, and village levels. The cemeteries charge a one-time cemetery construction cost and a 20-year management and maintenance fee, which must be paid in full upfront. Preliminary calculations show that the cost for a single grave in village-level cemeteries generally does not exceed 3,000 yuan, town-level cemeteries do not exceed 4,000 yuan, and county-level cemeteries do not exceed 10,000 yuan.
Suizhou is a tier-five city, and the living standards of local residents are not high.
Mr. Ding mentioned that elderly rural residents in the area only receive a pension of just over 100 yuan per month.
What residents find unacceptable is that due to improper construction, the cemeteries flood when it rains. At the protest site, a resident revealed that when they went to bury their mother, who was cremated on April 30, they found the cemetery filled with water on May 1.
“During the Labour Day holidays, it has been raining continuously, and the cemeteries are all flooded. They said they changed several cemeteries and they were all the same,” Mr. Ding said. “After a person is cremated, do they have to be put in a water cell?”
Ms. Chen also mentioned, “Thinking that my mother worked hard all her life, and now she has to soak in water after death, it has been very distressing these days.”
Mr. Ding asked, “Why can neighboring areas like Xinyang in Henan and Dawu in Xiaogan have burials, but Suizhou is an exception to this? With that 270 million, wouldn’t the local officials benefit from it?”
According to Ms. Chen, the authorities have turned cremation into an industry chain, requiring urban and rural residents not to hold funerals at home but at designated locations.
She said, “During cremation, a wreath costs 200 yuan; before pushing the deceased into the crematorium, the family members are asked to pay, and if they don’t, they won’t cremate the body. The funeral home’s vehicle charges 330 yuan to transport the remains, totaling about 1,000 yuan. The first year at the cemetery is free, then fees must be paid annually.”
Local residents are worried that continuous management will require spending money, and what will happen if future generations no longer renew the fees.
Mr. Ding plans to bury his mother in Xinyang, Henan, after her passing. If the policy changes in the future, he will dig up the remains and bring them back to be buried in the hometown. “One’s life comes to an end after a lifetime of ups and downs, even if it is troublesome, we must find a way, otherwise, they will be cremated.”
The protest lasted for three days, and as of now, the authorities have not provided a clear response. Mr. Ding said that the government must give an explanation until the cremation policy is canceled.
This news has sparked discussions among netizens. “Suizhou’s new regulations go against human ethics. Why should spouses be buried apart? Are they targeting the coffins because they’re in need of money? They are going crazy trying to earn money from the people!”
Chinese media outlets have also been following up on the report. The Beijing News published a commentary on Wednesday, harshly criticizing the local government for the arbitrary and compulsory requirement for people to buy cemeteries, even ignoring the emotions of the people, and the impossibility of spouses being buried together, which is an artificial separation between family members.
The commentary emphasized that there are many aspects to funeral reforms and the preservation of ancient customs. Although the promotion of cremation is necessary in various regions, it should not be done in a rough and oppressive manner, especially under the guise of promoting social change.