Overview
- China outlawed converting residential units into sites for ashes, and the national market watchdog issued new rules to fight funeral pricing fraud and improve transparency.
- The State Council said human remains must be placed only in designated locations such as public cemeteries.
- Families created so‑called “apartments for ashes” as cemetery space grew scarce and funerals took a heavy bite out of household income.
- Buying a cheap vacant flat could undercut a 20‑year cemetery lease, and housing rights often last far longer, which made apartments look like a better long‑term resting place.
- Researchers and users on Weibo question how the ban will be enforced, while authorities encourage lower‑cost options such as sea scattering.