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the numbers of burials which have taken place in "coffin cemeteries" ( as apart from urning cemeteries) in the
urban area during the past few years:
Year.
Number of Burials.
1930
15.935
1931
18.197
1932
19.706
1933
17.751
1934
18,177
1935
20.165
1936
23.336
1937
30.876
1938
35,570
1939
44.405
123% were
1940
40,824
(nine months)
There are four large cemeteries in the urban area which
are at present being used for burials. Three of these,
at Chaiwan, Caroline Hill and Kailungwan, are situated
at the eastern end, centre and western end respectively
of the Island of Hong Kong; the fourth is situated on
the Customs Pass Road in New Kowloon. It is obvious
from the above table that, as exhumation cannot be
carried out for at least seven years after burial, the
number of exhumations in recent years has lagged far
behind the number of fresh burials. This means, of
course, that the cemeteries have had to be enlarged.
With more attention now being paid to town planning it
is realized that the cemeteries, especially those on the Island, are occupying or encroaching on land which might
be put to better use as building sites; in cases where this objection does not at present apply the Military Authorities object, on account of defence requirements,
to further extensions. The three cemeteries on the
Island will, it is estimated, be full at the end of this year and it is then proposed to close them and to transfer all burials to the cemetery in New Kowloon. The present acute shortage of burial space
3.
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in the urban area has, however, been foreseen for some time and in June, 1939, Sir Geoffry Northcote
directed that investigations should be carried out with a view to the formation of a large cemetery in the New Territories. These investigations have been completed and an area of some 260 acres capable of extension
if necessary to over 1,000 acres - situated at Wo Hop Shek, near Fanling, and accessible by rail and road,
is considered to be eminently suitable for the purpose of both a cemetery and an urning ground. My Executive Council has approved in principle the setting apart of this area as a cemetery under Section 6A(2)(a) of the
New Territories Regulation Ordinance, 1910, and
preparations are now in hand for the opening of the new
cemetery as early as possible in 1941. When the new
cemetery is-opened all burials will take place there
and the cemeteries in the urban area will be formally
declared closed.
4.
In view of the poverty of the vast majority
of the population it is essential that the cost of
transporting the dead to this new cemetery be kept as low as possible and to this end it is proposed that
Government should provide free transport by junk across
the Harbour from the Island of Hong Kong to Kowloon and
by rail from Kowloon to the cemetery at Wo Hop Shek.
It is proposed that coffins be collected at one or more depots on the Hong Kong waterfront and removed by
coffin junks to Kowloon and thence by lorry to a railway
siding at Hunghom where they will be put into coaches
attached to a funeral train which will convey them to
the cemetery. Farewell pavilions will be erected at
Hunghom for the convenience of mourners whilst any