A cemetery staffer from Fushouyuan performs a tomb-sweeping ritual on behalf of the deceased's relatives upon their request. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Many Shanghai residents may not be able to visit the graves of their loved ones during the upcoming Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, which falls on Saturday, because of the novel coronavirus epidemic.
As part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the city has stopped all public gatherings at funeral homes, cemeteries and venues for funeral, incineration and burial ceremonies. Individuals who prefer to visit the graves in person are required to make an appointment with cemeteries in advance to avoid crowd gatherings.
"We are calling on the people of Shanghai to avoid visiting cemeteries and funeral homes during the Qingming period (March 28 to April 12) so as to avoid crowd gatherings and the potential risk of spreading the virus," says Zeng Qun, deputy head of the Shanghai civil affairs bureau.
More than 2 million people visited public cemeteries during this occasion last year.
But people will still get to pay their respects to the dead, albeit in a different manner. Cemeteries in the municipality and surrounding region have introduced an online system where people can perform their customary duties remotely during this year's Qingming.
Fushouyuan, a leading funeral-service provider with a presence in more than 30 Chinese cities, has already received a flurry of inquiries about how people can pay their respects during this period.
"Many customers have expressed a strong desire to visit the cemetery in person, but they also understand the need for such regulations given the current circumstances," says Yi Hua, a spokeswoman with the company.
In response, Fushouyuan launched the Fushou Cloud platform which allows people to carry out the usual tomb-sweeping rituals virtually. Through a web interface, customers can choose from a variety of services, such as placing flowers on tombs and burning incense, that are performed by cemetery staff. Customers can also pay to have a video or photo of the grave taken.
According to Yi, the new cloud service received more than 72,000 page views in its first week. More than 1,000 clients across the country, including 700 in Shanghai, had also signed up for the service.
"Wherever you are, as long as you turn on the computer or your smartphone, you can 'enter' the cemetery and pay your respects. People can see the gravestones at all Fushouyuan premises in China through the web platform," Yi tells China Daily in an exclusive interview.
People who have scheduled an appointment with the cemetery via its WeChat platform will be required to present their appointment record, wear a mask as well as show their personal health QR codes upon entering the cemetery. A cap on visitor numbers has also been put in place.
"We do understand that some people will need to be in the cemetery during this period, such as those who have already scheduled to bury their loved ones, and we have launched an appointment system for these purposes, too," Zeng says.
Shanghai resident Chen Xiaofan is among those who plans to visit the cemetery in person.
"My father passed away more than a year ago. According to local customs, we cannot skip any of the first three years of tomb-sweeping," she says.
"But I am sure he will understand if I cannot see him this year."
Some other cities in the Yangtze River Delta region have adopted similar policies at their cemeteries. According to Shanghai Observer, a local news portal, cities in Jiangsu province, including Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Nanjing and Yangzhou, have shut down their public cemeteries because of the COVID-19 epidemic.
"We suggest that you check with the local cemetery administrations before you leave Shanghai to perform tomb-sweeping in these regions," the Shanghai civil affairs bureau was quoted as saying on Shanghai Observer.
The bureau adds that while residents who leave the city to do tomb-sweeping will not have to undergo quarantine upon their return, they should nonetheless take adequate measures to prevent infection and perform the necessary health registrations.
