Multiple Chinese Cities Return Funeral Homes to Public Management, Cutting Costs

Funeral Homes Across China Transitioning from Private to Public Operation

Recently, multiple funeral homes across China have been returned to government management. The Yueyang Funeral Home in Hunan Province was officially inaugurated on June 15, marking the completion of its transition from private to public ownership and its return to public welfare status.

Funeral homes in Tongliao (Inner Mongolia), Jing'an (Jiangxi), and Jiamusi (Heilongjiang) have also been gradually taken over by government management. After the restructuring of the Lipu Funeral Home in Guangxi, the average funeral cost dropped from 3,400 yuan to 2,900 yuan, a reduction of 14.7%, and 43 additional service charges were abolished.

In Lianyuan, Hunan, the city funeral home was reclassified from a "public welfare category II" to a "public welfare category I" fully government-funded institution, prohibiting revenue generation and profit-making, and eliminating 21 unreasonable charges in total.

Source: The Paper (澎湃新闻)