More Hongkongers opting for burial sites in mainland China and the US as a lack of local cemetery space drives up prices
Funeral companies reveal that many of their clients have been looking further afield for their final resting places, as securing an affordable space in Hong Kong can take years
A shortage of burial space in Hong Kong has prompted some locals to opt for a final resting place miles away on the mainland or even in the United States, according to funeral business operators.
The latest trend, which was reported on Friday by burial services companies at the 50+ Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, saw an increasing number of Hongkongers buying burial plots or niches in Guangdong and San Francisco.
Alex Chan Ka-po, sales director of one of the exhibitors, the Funeral Business Association, said there were more than 100 families buying niche places on the mainland since they started selling such services six months ago.
He said it took at least three to four years on average to obtain a cheap public niche in Hong Kong and it cost between HK$10,000 and HK$20,000 each in private columbariums in the city.
