To encourage residents to choose cremation once Hanoi’s largest cemetery, Van Dien, closes on July 15, city authorities will offer 1.5-3 million dong per case.

To encourage residents to choose cremation once Hanoi’s largest cemetery, Van Dien, closes on July 15, city authorities will offer 1.5-3 million dong ($80-160)per case.

Hanoi’s largest cemetery to close in mid-July

Van Dien cemetery will close on July 15.

Hanoi Funeral Ceremonies Committee Chief Hoang Thanh Thai explained that, under the latest decision, Hanoians who use the cremation service will be granted 3 million dong/adult and 1.5 million dong/children under six years old.

The city will also pay the body transportation fee of 500,000 dong for those who live in the inner city and 1 million for those who live in the suburbs. The subsidization will be in effect for three years, from 2010 to 2012.

Thai noted that Van Dien cemetery currently has six crematoriums that can perform 60 operations per day. At present, the cemetery receives 20 cases per day on average. Hanoi also plans to build one more crematorium in Dong Anh district.

“The people’s awareness of the advantages of cremation has improved,” Thai remarked. “There were over 600 cremations at Van Dien cemetery in June.”

Van Dien cemetery will close on July 15 and afterwards it will no longer accept first burials, just cremations. Old tombs will be exhumed and moved after three years, plus first burials must be move to Vinh Hang cemetery in Ba Vi district, around 70km from the city’s centre.

Van Dien has over 9000 tombs that will be disinterred for reburial in other cemeteries from now to 2013. The cemetery will be upgraded into a park-cemetery that will only keep ashes and perform cremations.

PV