Even Crematory Furnaces Are Graded High and Low... Endless Polarization in China

"Inequality Persists Even After Death" Criticism Grows

A "super-luxury funeral" that grades crematoriums has emerged in China, sparking controversy. The pricing varies depending on the quality of the furnace used to cremate the deceased.

Hong Kong media South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that a funeral home in Hebei Province, northern China, has classified crematorium furnaces by "quality grade." The funeral home offers different funeral costs depending on which furnace is used. This pricing policy was exposed on December 19 last year (local time). At that time, a man posted a video on social media revealing that the funeral home separately sorted ashes into those from low-cost furnaces and those from high-cost furnaces.

The price varies depending on the type of vanity in the funeral hall.
[Image source=Weibo]

Sharing the related video, he pointed out, "Ashes from the low-grade furnace are gathered here, and ashes from the high-grade furnace are gathered elsewhere," adding, "Is it necessary to differentiate between premium and low-cost cremation services?"

The video quickly spread through social media. Amid growing controversy, an employee of the funeral home explained to a local online media outlet, "The regular furnace has a simpler structure, whereas the premium furnace is tailored to specific requests from the bereaved family," and "Therefore, we have no choice but to charge a higher fee."

The employee also claimed that separately classifying cremation services is common practice in Chinese funeral homes. He explained, "Local residents can be cremated for free in the low-cost furnace, while non-residents are charged 250 yuan (about 45,600 KRW). The premium furnace fees vary, and non-residents pay 800 yuan (about 146,000 KRW) for cremation."

In some low-quality cremators, the bones of cremated remains may not be completely broken down, or there is a risk of mixing with the ashes of other individuals.
[Image source=Weibo]

SCMP reported that in some lower-grade furnaces, the remains may not be fully cremated. This can lead to bereaved families having to crush bones themselves or, in the worst case, ashes of other deceased individuals being accidentally mixed. Despite the industry employee's explanation, criticism continues among Chinese netizens. They responded with comments such as, "Is it impossible to achieve equality in this country even after death?" and "It's disheartening that even the path to heaven has different starting lines."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.