A Chinese woman has faced backlash online after advising a friend to store his father’s ashes in a parcel locker to avoid burial costs. The controversial suggestion, which has since gone viral, has drawn criticism for its perceived insensitivity and disregard for traditional customs.
According to a report from the South China Morning Post, the woman posted on Weibo about her unconventional advice. The friend, struggling financially, was unable to afford a burial plot or find space in his small home for the cremation urn. The woman proposed using a Hive Box parcel locker, which costs only 55 yuan (approximately $8) per year for membership. She argued that this was a cost-effective solution compared to the high expenses associated with traditional burial plots.
In her post, she explained, “He followed my suggestion to leave the cremation urn in a Hive Box parcel locker. You can buy a membership fee for only 55 yuan a year. They will not charge any other fees. Isn’t that quite a reasonable price?”
The suggestion provoked outrage among users on Weibo, with many criticizing the woman’s lack of respect for both the deceased and traditional burial practices. In large cities like Beijing and Shanghai, purchasing a small burial plot can cost at least 100,000 yuan ($14,000). While traditional burial remains the preferred method due to cultural beliefs about finding peace in the soil, there has been a growing trend toward scattering ashes in funeral homes, which is significantly cheaper.
Following the widespread condemnation, the woman who made the post issued an apology for the “misleading and vicious impact” of her comments and subsequently closed her Weibo account.
Weibo users expressed their disapproval, with one commenting, “The woman who came up with this idea is so immoral. She did not consider the deceased person’s feelings nor the interests of neighbors living in the same community and using the parcel lockers.” Another user added, “This father is so wretched to have such a son who put his ashes in the delivery box, rather than a normal place to store.”
Sources By Agencies
