New burial rules promote eco-friendly rituals, curb high costs

The State Council unveiled sweeping revisions to the nation's funeral management regulations on Wednesday, aiming to reinforce the public-service nature of burial services and promote eco-friendly practices.

The regulations stipulate that newly established funeral service institutions must be government-run and nonprofit. No new for-profit funeral service entities will be permitted.

The updated regulations — which represent the first major overhaul since 2012 — will take effect on March 30, introducing hefty fines for oversized cemetery plots and inflated pricing, amid public concern over high funeral costs.

According to the text released by the State Council, the move is part of a broader push to "strengthen the public welfare attributes of the funeral industry" and "promote socialist spiritual civilization". A key focus is to cement funeral services as a "public welfare undertaking".

The revisions require local governments to establish funding mechanisms to meet basic public needs, while the State will gradually incorporate eligible funeral services into the national basic public service system.

Funeral services will be divided into "basic" and "nonbasic" categories. Basic services — including corpse transportation, storage, cremation and eco-burials — will be included in a national list, with fees set according to law. Nonbasic services will be subject to strict pricing regulation.

The regulations also advocate for environmentally friendly practices. In regions that implement cremation, sea burials, tree burials, flower burials, and lawn burials are encouraged. In regions where conventional burial is still permitted, deep burials without tombstones or ground hardening are promoted. Subsidies may be provided for eco-friendly interments.

The rules explicitly prohibit building tombs on cultivated land, forest land, urban parks, scenic spots, cultural relic protection zones, as well as areas near reservoirs, river embankments, and water source protection zones. Burial sites along railways and major highways are also banned, while existing graves in these zones — except those of historical or cultural value — must be relocated or deep buried without a mound.

While respecting the burial customs of ethnic groups, the regulations encourage all individuals to adopt burial methods that meet environmental and land-saving requirements.

To curb excessive charges, the rules impose strict pricing controls. Funeral service providers are barred from creating unauthorized fees, inflating prices through hidden charges, or engaging in price fraud. Hospital morgues are prohibited from outsourcing or providing funeral services, with violations leading to fines of 30,000 to 200,000 yuan ($4,300 to 28,600), or two to five times illegal gains if above 100,000 yuan.

Some of the stiffest penalties target serious violations, such as manufacturing or selling conventional burial items like coffins in areas where cremation is mandatory. Such offenses may result in fines of 30,000 to 200,000 yuan, or two to five times illegal gains if above 100,000 yuan.

Online memorial platforms that induce excessive consumption or mishandle personal data of the deceased may face fines of 100,000 to 300,000 yuan and even shutdowns.