XN000022-1982-10-24 — Page 11

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1982.

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CREMATION GAINS WIDER ACCEPTANCE

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THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT PLANS TO PROVIDE MORE CREMATORIA AND COLUMBARIUM NICHES AND GARDENS OF REMEMBRANCE IN NEW TOWNS AND OUTLYING ISLANDS TO COPE WITH THE GROWING DEMAND FOR SUCH FACILITIES.

ACCORDING TO A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT CREMATION IS GAINING PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE IN PREFERENCE TO BURIAL AND SIXTY PER CENT OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED SO FAR THIS YEAR HAVE BEEN CREMATED COMPARED WITH 57 PER CENT LAST YEAR.

BODY CREMATION IS PRACTISED IN THE BUDDHIST FAITH, AND FOUR MONASTERIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND ON LANTAU ISLAND ARE OPERATING LICENSED PRIVATE CREMATORIA TO CREMATE THEIR OWN PRIESTS AFTER DEATH, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT CREMATION IS ALSO ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHRISTIANS, AND THE ROMAN CATHOLICS.

IT IS EXPECTED THAT FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN THE CREMATION FACILITIES WILL BE ACHIEVED WHEN CONSTRUCTION OF A NUMBER OF CREMATORIA AND COLUMBARIUM NICHES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND OUTLYING ISLANDS ARE COMPLETED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

IN THE PIPELINE FOR CONSTRUCTION ARE SIX CREMATORIA TO BE LOCATED AT SHA TIN, TUEN MUN, SAI KUNG, WO HOP SHEK, CHEUNG CHAU AND LANTAU ISLAND,

FOR THE SHA TIN CREMATORIUM SITE FORMATION HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED AND WORK ON THE FIRST STAGE OF THE PROJECT WILL START SOON.

LOCATED AT LOWER SHING MUN ROAD, THE $26 MILLION SHA TIN CREMATOR IUM WILL HAVE SERVICE AND MEMORIAL HALLS, A GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE AND A COLUMBARIUM WITH 9 700 NICHES.

THE SAI KUNG CREMATORIUM WILL BE BUILT AT KEI PIK SHAN AND WILL HAVE 3 000 NICHES,

APART FROM THE CREMATORIA PLANNED FOR CHEUNG CHAU AND LANTAU THERE WILL ALSO BE A COLUMBARIUM AND GARDENS OF REMEMBRANCE PROVIDED AT PENG CHAU AND LAMMA ISLAND.

EACH COLUMBARIUM ON THE OUTLYING ISLANDS WILL HAVE 500 TO

1 000 NICHES AND A GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE.

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE ONLY TWO CREMATORIA IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. THESE ARE THE KWAI CHUNG CREMATORIUM AND COLUMBARIUM AND THE WO HOP SHEK CREMATORIUM IN FANL ING.

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