Green life is the new direction for the future. In addition to waste reduction, recycling, and adopting a low-carbon lifestyle, we can also choose to embrace green practices for after-death arrangement.

Green burial is a more environmentally friendly and sustainable means of handling cremated ashes. Scattering the ashes in Gardens of Remembrance or designated waters to replace placing the ashes in niches, allowing them to return to nature and continue the cycle of life, which holds significant meaning.

Columbarium niches are rarely recycled, which, in the long run, puts cumulative pressure on limited land resources. On the contrary, adopting green burial not only promotes sustainability but also aligns with the belief in living a fulfilled life and returning to nature.

Increasing number of people choosing green burial.

The government has been committed to promoting green burial. Over the past decade, the prevalence of green burial has significantly increased. The number of green burials almost quadrupled from about 2,400 in 2011 to about 9,400 in 2023. This remarkable growth is truly encouraging.

Statistic of Green Burial

Currently, scattering of cremated ashes can take place in the 13 Gardens of Remembrance (GoRs) under the management of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and 3 designated areas in Hong Kong waters. Another GoR under construction in the Shek Mun Columbarium in Sha Tin is expected to be completed and commissioned by 2025. Moreover, the Government encourages non-governmental and religious organizations to build GoR within their managed cemeteries. The Government will continue to improve facilities and services for the convenience of the public.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) currently provides free scattering services in Gardens of Remembrance and designated Hong Kong waters. Over other traditional funeral methods (such as depositing ashes in public columbaria or licensed private columbaria, or keeping them at home), green burial has the following advantages:

• Returning to nature; at the final moment of life, establishing a permanent connection with the natural world, leaving behind a better world for future generations.
• Enhanced eco-friendly and simplified funeral methods
• Simplified and faster application process.
• Relatively lower costs. (Note: FEHD currently provides free scattering services in Gardens of Remembrance and designated Hong Kong waters.
• Avoidance of future extension procedures for columbarium niches.

(Note: Starting from 26 April 2019, the initial interment period for public columbarium niches allocated is 20 years and can be extended at 10-year intervals thereafter upon payment of the prevailing applicable fees.)

• "To my..." is a participatory art installation created by local woodcut artist Mr. Parry Ling, with environmental conservation and remembrance as its main themes. The artist utilized fallen tree waste and other garden debris collected from Y·PARK to recreate and construct the artwork. It is located in the waterfront Tsang Tsui GoR and serves as a new commemorative facility for green burial. The GoR is adorned with distinctive pebbles, harmoniously integrating with nature, providing a serene environment for citizens to pay tribute to their ancestors. Post boxes with local colours on the artwork also enables families to express their feelings or share thoughts of their lost loved ones.

• Artwork Creation Concept: The creation of the artwork revolves around the concept of the ferry as the primary tool for scattering ashes at sea, symbolizing the journey to the other side of life in various cultures. The artwork in an image of a Chinese boat not only commemorates sea burials but also provides a transitional space for the living and the departed. Post boxes with local colours on the artwork are labelled with different locations for scattering ashes, allowing the living to express their thoughts and remembrance to their lost loved ones through written letters.
• How to send letters of remembrance?
  Post boxes on the "To my..." are labelled with the following destinations: 3 designated areas in Hong Kong waters for scattering cremated ashes (namely East of Tap Mun, East of Tung Lung Chau and South of West Lamma Channel), the GoR and Forever Remembered. Family and friends can send letters of remembrance to their lost loved ones, conveying blessings and thoughts of remembrance.
  Sending letters of remembrance mainly involves the following steps:
  • 1. Obtain letters of remembrance at the office of Tuen Mun Tsang Tsui Columbarium and Garden of Remembrance or at the pavilions on both sides of the “To my...”. (Marked with on the map)
  • 2. Write blessings and remembrances for the deceased on the back of the letters of remembrance.
  • 3. Place the letters of remembrance into the post boxes on the “To my...”, where staff from the FEHD will regularly collect the letters for cremation (Location B on the map). (Marked with on the map).
  
  :Locations of the "To my..." and the post boxes       : 3 Locations offering letters of remembrance
• Production process of the "To my..."
  Select suitable discarded trees at Y·PARK ⇒ Fabricates metal frames ⇒ Cut and air-dry ⇒ Inlay ⇒ Transport ⇒ Final product.

To learn more about artist Mr. Parry Ling's insights and sharing on the "To my..." artwork and green burial.：

• Although the deceased have passed away, the traces they left behind, the love they brought, and the memories they created will forever be engraved in the hearts of their family members, and they will not fade away with the passage of time.
• New commemorative facility "To my..." for green burial is installed in Garden of Remembrance of Tsang Tsui Columbarium, providing a serene environment for citizens to pay tribute to their ancestors. Post boxes on the artwork also enables families to express their feelings or share thoughts of their lost loved ones through written letters.
• The public may create a memorial webpage at the Internet Memorial Service website (http://www.memorial.gov.hk) and upload texts, photos and videos to preserve fond memories of their lost loved ones.
• Moreover, local funeral service providers also offer innovative green burial options, such as retaining a small amount of ashes and transforming them into memorial crystals, diamonds or glass displays. Ashes can also be stored in containers of various sizes for convenient remembrance at any time. However, please note that according to current legislation, residential premises are limited to storing up to 10 containers, with each of them holding one set of ashes only.

Every person will go through the cycle of life, including birth, aging, illness, and death. Engaging in advance planning and sharing one's desire to return to nature with family members is a gesture of thoughtfulness towards both the family and the natural world. By doing so, family members will not feel helpless or encounter conflicts when handling after-death arrangements, contributing to maintaining family harmony.

FEHD has set up the Green Burial Central Register to enable the public to register their wish for green burial. The registration process for green burial is simple and free of charge. FEHD will follow up appropriately if a deceased person is identified on the register upon cremation booking. Click here to register.

Even if there is no prior registration, descendants can still take on green burial for the deceased.

In order to further reduce resource consumption and carbon emissions, you can also consider:

1. Organizing a simple, environmentally friendly, yet solemn funeral for yourself or your ancestors. This may involve using eco-coffins, using recycled paper or fabric bags as the envelopes for funeral gifts, dressing the departed in their favorite clothing instead of specially prepared burial garments and opting for farewell services in hospitals.

2. Green worship: Burning joss paper is a traditional practice, but the burning process inevitably causes air pollution and carbon emissions, which can have an impact on the environment and human health. When expressing remembrance and gratitude to our ancestors, individuals can opt for environmentally friendly ancestral worship practices, such as using fresh flowers as offerings instead of burning clothing, engaging in electronic worship, and offering digital offerings.

Five free memorial sails around Chung Yeung Festival 2023 (on 15, 17 & 24 September and 15 & 20 October respectively) were successfully held by FEHD. The next sails will be held around Ching Ming Festival 2024. Further details will be announced in February 2024.

FEHD arranges green burial talks, visits to GoRs or attendance of sea scattering service for relevant Non-Government Organisations and other institutions as appropriate. For detailed arrangement, please call 2562 7130 (Monday to Friday (except public holidays), 9am to 5pm).