In a landmark move addressing public concerns over funeral costs and environmental sustainability, China’s State Council has introduced comprehensive revisions to national funeral management regulations. The updated framework, representing the first major overhaul since 2012, will take effect March 30 with significant implications for burial practices nationwide.
The reforms establish a fundamental shift toward non-profit governance, mandating that all newly established funeral service institutions must be government-operated and non-commercial. No new for-profit funeral entities will be permitted under the revised regulations, which aim to reinforce the public-service nature of burial services.
A key innovation involves categorizing funeral services into ‘basic’ and ‘nonbasic’ tiers. Essential services including corpse transportation, storage, cremation and eco-burials will be incorporated into a national list with legally standardized pricing. Nonbasic services will face stringent price controls to prevent exploitation through hidden charges or fraudulent pricing practices.
The regulations introduce substantial penalties for violations, including fines ranging from 30,000 to 200,000 yuan ($4,300 to $28,600) for infractions such as hospital morgues outsourcing services or providers creating unauthorized fees. More severe penalties target the manufacture or sale of conventional burial items like coffins in cremation-mandated areas, with fines potentially reaching two to five times illegal gains when exceeding 100,000 yuan.
Environmental conservation forms a cornerstone of the new policy. The regulations encourage sea burials, tree burials, flower burials and lawn burials in cremation regions, while promoting deep burials without tombstones or ground hardening where conventional burial remains permitted. Financial subsidies may be provided to support eco-friendly interments.
The rules explicitly prohibit tomb construction on cultivated land, forests, urban parks, scenic spots, cultural protection zones, and areas near reservoirs, river embankments and water sources. Existing graves in prohibited zones—except those of historical significance—must be relocated or deep buried without mounds.
While respecting ethnic burial customs, the regulations encourage all citizens to adopt environmentally sustainable and land-efficient burial methods. The State Council described the move as part of broader efforts to ‘strengthen the public welfare attributes of the funeral industry’ and ‘promote socialist spiritual civilization.’
Additionally, online memorial platforms inducing excessive consumption or mishandling deceased individuals’ data face penalties of 100,000 to 300,000 yuan and potential shutdowns. Local governments must establish funding mechanisms to meet basic public needs, with the state gradually incorporating eligible funeral services into the national basic public service system.
