"Greener" Cemeteries

China is cutting short the amount of land set aside for the deceased. A growing shortage of land resources has forced people to think about "greener" ways to bury the ashes of their loved ones.

Our feature correspondent Wang Jing takes a look.

Reporter: China's aging population is swelling. It's driving up the demand for cemetery land.

In Beijing, cemeteries are expected to cover another 48 hectares within 12 years.

Calls for cutting down the size of plots pervade.

Ms. Ma from Shanghai supports the move. She will bury her husband's remains in 0.5-square-meter plot, one sixth the normal size.

"We like this new method of burial. And the land resources are falling short. It is more environmentally-friendly."

Most cemeteries have cut down on the size of their plots, with some maximizing space by arranging them in a garden or around trees.

Wu Zhiming manages a cemetery in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where sandstorms are a frequent phenomenon. His cemetery allows people to bury the ashes of their family members under trees.

"It used to be a barren land, with lots of wind and sand. Through the efforts of the past few years, it has now turned into a green belt."

A new law to regulate cemetery land is on the drawing board. The timeframe for plot usage, now 70 years, is expected to be cut by half.

No-land burial is also encouraged.

As of this March, over 10,000 families in Shanghai have left the ashes of their beloved in the sea.

For China Drive, I'm Wang Jing.