The Continuance of Chinese Customs in Hong Kong
2.In Densely Populated Hong Kong
The Hong Kong people think that a deceased should be properly buried, cremation should be avoided.
Before the 1960s, when a Hong Kong resident died, he or she was usually properly buried. But afterwards, the cost of a grave rose sharply because the land used for properly burial was scarce.
In the 40s and the 50s, most people in Hong Kong were poor. A newspaper cost 10 cents only. A ride on a bus or a tram also cost 20 cents only. A lot can be done with a one dollar coin.
Since the 1980s, cremation has become much more popular
The scarcity of land in the last few decades means that the number of cremation increased steadily in Hong Kong. Nowadays, cremation is more popular than burial. Without enough land, some traditional Chinese practices cannot continue.
With the ageing of the population, the government estimates that the number of deaths would increase from 101 per day to 115 per day three years later. The existing cremation facilities may not be able to deal with this phenomenon.
