Hong Kong, one of the most densely packed spots on the planet, is running out of places to bury its dead — leaving thousands of corpses either in limbo or in six-year resting plots before being exhumed and cremated.
The territory, home to 8m people on a tiny spit of land, epitomises the twin problems of land scarcity and an ageing population. Deaths each year have risen from about 25,000 three decades ago to more than 43,000 in 2013.
“We have 20,000-30,000 urns of ashes in this area right now,” said Betsy Ma, a funeral parlour director. “This is our responsibility. After the ceremony where do they put [them]? The government cannot provide enough space.”