The Changes of Industries Related to Funeral Rites in Hong Kong

The 1980s
The funeral industry in Hong Kong was now classified as a cateogyr of its own, it was no longer treated as the same industry with those businesses related to wedding. The incense industry also became a separate industry, which included the sandal wood industry, joss sticks industry and paper offerings industry in the 1950s and the 1960s. The funeral industry included coffin, shroud and funeral procession.

The advertisement of the ‘World Funeral Home’ in the Hong Kong Year Book 1982 shows that, at that time, the funeral homes had a lot of facilities and were clean. There were also both Chinese-style and Western-style halls, showing that Western-style funeral services were also provided.


A Funeral Hall advertisement from 1982

Contemporary Hong Kong

The government has ceased issuing licenses to new funeral homes. Hong Kong now has seven funeral homes.