Chinese authorities have prohibited the practice of entombing cremated remains in low-cost apartments, a trend that had emerged as families sought to avoid escalating funeral costs while taking advantage of the country’s softening property market.
Often called “bone-ash apartments,” these units—usually in sparsely occupied residential complexes—had been used by some families to store the ashes of deceased relatives. Local media reported that such apartments were often cheaper than public cemetery plots and offered families greater control over memorial arrangements.
“Acquiring one ‘kills two birds with one stone,’” said Carsten Herrmann-Pillath of Germany’s Erfurt University. “It’s an investment and eases the carrying out of ritual practices.” However, new regulations that came into effect on Monday explicitly ban the use of residential units for the interment of human remains.
Media reports note that bone-ash apartments could often be identified by sealed windows or closed curtains. A resident quoted by the Communist Party-run Legal Daily described seeing two candlesticks, a black box, and a black-and-white portrait inside a neighbor’s apartment—a common arrangement in China for commemorating the dead.
The ban arrives just days before the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, when families traditionally visit and tend to ancestors’ graves. According to China’s State Council, human remains are now permitted only in designated burial areas, such as public cemeteries.
Demand for cemetery plots has been rising as the country’s population ages and deaths outnumber births. A 2020 survey by British insurance firm SunLife found that funerals could cost nearly half of China’s average annual salary.
Separately, China’s market regulator announced new rules on Tuesday aimed at curbing fraud and improving transparency in funeral pricing to help reduce costs for families.
Meanwhile, apartment prices continue to decline amid weak consumer confidence and a prolonged property sector crisis. Leading developers have faced debt and stalled construction since 2020, when strict limits on borrowing and speculation restricted access to credit.