Easier path to columbarium for grave sweepers

Cheng Wong

The new Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium features 200-meter-long, two-way escalators linking San Ha Street to Cape Collinson Road, enabling grave sweepers to travel uphill in just seven minutes.

Ahead of the Ching Ming Festival on Friday, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department encourages grave sweepers to use environmentally friendly methods to pay respects to their ancestors, such as offering flowers instead of burning joss paper and incense.

The department told Sing Tao Daily, a sister publication of The Standard, that the Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium in Chai Wan, opened in 2023, has about 25,000 niches and is located on elevated ground, requiring around 30 minutes to walk up.

To ease the strain on the elderly and prevent congestion during festivals, the authorities have constructed 200-meter-long two-way escalators and a stairway for public access.

Senior Health Inspector of Cemeteries and Crematoria for the New Territories, Bowie Ip Yi-po, noted the newly constructed escalator is equipped with energy-saving devices, "opening from 8am to 6pm on regular days and from 7am to 7pm during Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals."

The escalator has a transparent roof for protection against wind and rain. Since its opening, it has been quite popular, recording approximately 42,000 users on Ching Ming and 43,000 on Chung Yeung last year.

In Chinese tradition, burning joss paper and incense is common during memorial rituals. Ip expressed hopes that citizens can use flowers as an alternative for remembrance.

She noted that each niche at the Tsang Tsui Columbarium now offers a small vase to facilitate offering flowers to ancestors.

To facilitate posthumous matters, the FEHD's cemeteries and crematoria service platform has launched online services, allowing citizens to submit applications without visiting the offices in person.

Meanwhile, the number of people opting for "green burials" in Hong Kong has reached a record high, rising from 8.4 percent in 2014 to 18.2 percent last year.

Assistant Director of Grade Management and Development Jacqueline Ho Yuen-man emphasized that green burials are both environmentally friendly and sustainable, reflecting respect for life and aligning with sustainable development principles.

In Hong Kong, there are two green burial options: scattering cremated human ashes at sea and in memorial gardens.