Cemetery bids to breathe life into mourning
Print Edition
THE operators of Yingxinyuan Cemetery in Chongming have unveiled memorials to some of the county’s most famous citizens who now lie in rest within its grounds.
Tributes to seven renowned figures, including diplomat Li Fengbao (1834-87) and China’s first ocean liner captain Chen Ganqing (1891-1953), were erected ahead of this year’s Qingming (tomb-sweeping) Festival, which falls on Sunday, though a total of 15 sculptures are planned.
According to Wu Weimin, deputy general manager, the sculptures are part of a wider program to make the cemetery more appealing to visitors, by providing an environment that is both relaxed and educational.
“We hope to give the cemetery a historical and cultural flavor rather than it simply being a place to remember the dead,” he said.
Wu said the inspiration for the memorials came from places like the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, which is best known for being the final resting place of Jim Morrison, lead singer of seminal 60s rock combo The Doors, whose grave is a popular tourist attraction.
As well as the sculptures, Yingxinyuan is planning to add more green spaces and introduce landscaping such as bridges, pavilions and fountains, Wu said.
Despite the good intentions not everyone in Shanghai is enamored with the idea of turning the cemetery into a tourist attraction.
“No matter how beautiful or sunny it is, cemeteries are gloomy and make people think of death,” said Chen Yina, a local university student.
Bank worker Candy Cai said she finds it hard to imagine spending her leisure time at a cemetery.
“It’s disrespectful to disturb the peace of the dead,” she said.
Not everyone finds the idea shocking, however.
Local man Zhang said he visited Fushouyuan Cemetery in Qingpu District several years ago.
“The late film director Xie Jin, whom I respect, is buried there. When I went to the cemetery, I found it solemn and refined, and it taught me how to face death and treasure life,” he said.
“Visiting cemeteries shouldn’t be taboo.”
Yingxinyuan is not the only burial ground in the city that’s undergoing remodeling.
Wang Hongjie, director of the Shanghai Funeral and Interment Association, said that in recent years about half of Shanghai’s 44 cemeteries have tried different ways to incorporate historical and cultural elements.
“Overall, we encourage cemeteries to do these things as we want them to make the best use of the land they have available,” Wang said.
“We shouldn’t try to replicate what people do in other countries and we should respect Chinese people’s deep-rooted beliefs, but in Shanghai, people are open-minded and attitudes are gradually changing,” he told Shanghai Daily.
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