The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department provides funeral services, striving to assist those who need support due to the passing of a loved one through difficult time.
Cemeteries, Crematoria and Columbaria
The Department manages six government crematoria, 10 public cemeteries, 12 public columbaria, two keeping facilities and one cremation facility for abortuses for the provision of cremation and burial services to the public. Among them, Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium was commissioned on 19 July 2023, providing 25,340 new extendable niches. The Department also monitors the management of 27 private cemeteries in accordance with the provisions of the Private Cemeteries Regulation.
The Government's policy is to promote cremation over burial. During the year, about 95.1% (49,812) of the deceased were cremated. To enhance public convenience, booking of cremation sessions can be made either in person or through licensed undertakers of burials at Wu Chung House in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island and Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices in Kowloon. Additionally, online booking options are available.
Currently, the supply of public niches is adequate. In addition to the comprehensive allocation of public niches once a year, the Department also accepts applications from the public year round for allocation of new niches at Tsang Tsui Columbarium on a monthly basis. In 2024, all eligible applicants were allocated new niches without waiting.
The Government has been exploring various feasible measures to enhance public columbarium facilities. These include promoting the columbarium development scheme and providing additional niches in existing cemeteries and columbaria.
The 40,000 niches at Shek Mun Columbarium are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025 and commissioned in the third quarter. The Government will continue to take forward other new projects, with a view to ensuring a stable medium-and long-term supply of public niches.
As regards the construction of crematorium facilities, the Government will continue to review the situation and take forward crematorium projects having regard to the projection on the overall demand for cremation services as appropriate.
Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium was commissioned on 19 July 2023, providing 25,340 new extendable niches.
The Department invited applications from members of the public for 18,100 new extendable niches at Wo Hop Shek Columbarium Phase VI in Fanling and Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium in Chai Wan between May 13 and June 12.
The lot drawing and computer balloting for new extendable niche applications at Wo Hop Shek Columbarium Phase VI in Fanling and Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium in Chai Wan was conducted on September 26, and niches were allocated to all eligible applicants.
Private Columbaria
Pursuant to the Private Columbaria Ordinance (Cap. 630) (the Ordinance), a person must obtain a specified instrument, namely a licence, an exemption or a temporary suspension of liability in order to operate, keep, manage or in any other way have control of a private columbarium.
The Private Columbaria Licensing Board (Licensing Board) is the statutory body responsible for regulating the operation and management of private columbaria. During the year, the Licensing Board approved two licence applications and one exemption application, and gave approvals in principle for eight exemption applications (in addition to the above cases).
The Private Columbaria Affairs Office provides executive support for the Licensing Board and handles matters relating to the implementation of the Ordinance. Apart from the processing of applications for specified instruments, it also conducts inspections and takes enforcement actions against suspected contravention of the Ordinance. During the year, about 480 inspections of private columbaria and investigation on 41 cases of suspected contravention of the Ordinance were conducted.
In 2024, the Government reviewed the Ordinance and proposed amendments to achieve more effective execution of the regulatory regime on private columbaria. The Private Columbaria (Amendment) Bill 2024 was published in the Gazette on 6 December and subsequently introduced to the Legislative Council for consideration on 18 December.
Green Burial
In 2024, there were a total of 9,554 green burial cases, which accounted for 18.2% of the total deaths that year, making it the highest percentage rate of green burials as far. The Green Burial Campaign Launch Ceremony in October 2023 kicked off a series of promotional activities with the theme of "Green Burial - Love Living On" to further encourage the public to adopt green burial, which makes the environment sustainable and endures love. The public can scatter ashes of their ascendants in the Department’s 13 Gardens of Remembrance or in designated Hong Kong waters. The Department provides free ferry service for families of the deceased to scatter ashes at sea. There were 1,032 cases of scattering ashes at sea and 8,522 cases of scattering ashes in the Gardens of Remembrance in 2024. In addition to the free ferry service for scattering cremated ashes at sea, the Department also arranges memorial sailings during the Ching Ming Festival and Chung Yeung Festival for the public to pay tribute to their loved ones whose ashes were scattered at sea. By 2024, more than 10,200 participants from about 4,300 families had joined the trips.
The Department provides an Internet Memorial Service (IMS) for members of the public to pay tribute and express condolences to their lost loved ones at any time and from anywhere online through a dedicated webpage (www.memorial.gov.hk). A mobile version (m.memorial.gov.hk) and a mobile app are also available. By the end of 2024, about 29,800 memorial webpages had been created. Besides, the Department launched the Green Burial Central Register in January 2019 to encourage the public to plan ahead and share their green burial wish with their family members. By the end of 2024, about 15,100 members of the public had registered their wish for green burial.
In 2023, the Department completed a consultancy study on design thinking to better understand the views of service users, stakeholders and the general public, with a view to promoting green burial, enhancing service quality and encouraging wider usage. Taking into account the findings of the study, the Department has rolled out new facilities and services since April 2024, including a commemorative landmark for green burial “To my…” for the public to show respect to their lost loved ones and to post memorial notes; paper ash scatterers used in Gardens of Remembrance to write down thoughts and blessings for the deceased; and floral farewell bag for scattering of cremains at sea, etc. In addition, a new "After-death Arrangements" thematic website has also been launched, setting outevery after-death step and encourages the public to plan ahead for after-death arrangements.
The Department held a press tour in the Tsang Tsui Garden of Remembrance on April 2 to introduce new initiatives of green burial, including new commemorative facility "To my ..." and demonstrate the use of one-off paper scattering device.
The Department held a talk on after-death arrangements to the general public at Yau Tong Community Hall on May 4 to introduce the latest information of green burial, allocation of public niches and regulation of private columbaria.
The Department set up a booth at 50+ Expo 2024 with the theme “Green Burial – Love Living On” in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for promotion of green burial between July 5 and 7. Counters with registration of Green Burial Central Register, guided tours to Gardens of Remembrance and health assessment and electronic game booth were set up to attract visitors.
The Department organised the first "Green Burial - Love Living On" promotional exhibition with the theme of "School of Life" at Tseung Kwan O Plaza on August 24 and 25 to promote green burial and advance planning for the last mile of life. Knowledge sharing sessions with guest speakers, fun performances and handicraft workshops by the elderly were held. Exhibition panels were set up to showcase our service enhancements and life stories of real green burial service users.
The Department organised the 'School of Life - Life and Death Expo' at Yau Tong Community Hall on October 26 which aimed to promote green burial and advance planning for the last mile of life to general public especially the elderly and their families. The Department collaborated with 10 non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and service providers of funeral trade and end-of-life care to share green burial, life planning and after-death arrangements through stage talks and promotion booths.
A new thematic website - "After-death arrangements" was launched on November 15, presenting a road map for after-death arrangements from death to disposal of the deceased, either by burial or ash disposal in niches or scattering in Garden of Remembrance or at sea in a precise and concise manner. The road map captures the four major after-death steps.