“No Money to Buy a Cemetery Plot” Netizens Recommend Ashes Storage Locker, Sparks Debate

Recently, a netizen posted on social media that a friend couldn’t afford a cemetery plot, so she recommended placing the urn in a smart locker provided by a courier service company for only 55 yuan per year. This news quickly became a hot topic on Weibo, topping the trending list.

Netizen “Lemon Spirit Living on the Moon” shared on July 18, “After a friend’s father passed away and they couldn’t afford a cemetery plot due to limited space at home, they eventually followed my suggestion to place the urn in a smart locker provided by a courier service company. The smart locker offers an annual membership card without any storage fees. It costs only 55 yuan per year, isn’t it cost-effective?”

The news sparked discussions online. Some netizens expressed concerns, saying, “It’s scary, it would be even scarier if a bit of ashes spills inside the locker.”

Others commented, “Expensive houses, sky-high tomb prices, and now smart lockers becoming the best solution?” “After my grandmother passed away, we haven’t buried her; her ashes have been kept at home.” “Great idea, only for the talented to resist.”

Some suggested, “Why not opt for a funeral home? It costs less than 200 yuan a year, with more neighbors around. Putting the urn in a metal locker all alone, exposed to summer heat and winter cold, will ruin it in two years.” “They could establish a specialized place for storing urns like this.”

Subsequently, on July 23, the person involved made a final post stating that the smart lockers have clear regulations against storing certain items, suggesting that ashes and similar items should be kept in designated facilities. They also apologized for any negative impact from sharing the previous posts. Following this, the account “Lemon Spirit Living on the Moon” was temporarily banned.

However, this incident reignited concerns about the exorbitant prices of cemetery plots. Previous reports have highlighted the severe shortage of cemetery spaces in China, leading to continuously rising prices. Some individuals have resorted to purchasing remote and affordable properties to use as “urn houses” for storing ashes without actually residing there.

According to a report from the Chinese financial newspaper “21st Century Economic Report” on April 6, 2023, the new cemetery plots that went on sale in mid-March in Songhe Park in Shanghai offered single/double graves of 0.6 square meters at prices ranging from 341,800 yuan (approximately $49,700) to 457,800 yuan (approximately $66,600) for a three-grave plot of the same size. This translates to a staggering price of 763,000 yuan per square meter (approximately $111,000), significantly higher than central Shanghai’s property prices.

Similarly, even in Beijing, even remote cemetery plots cost over a hundred thousand yuan and only come with a 20-year usage right, requiring additional payments for cemetery management fees. Apart from Beijing and Shanghai, cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen have also witnessed cemetery plot prices surpassing real estate prices by a considerable margin.