XN000022-1984-08-27 — Page 6

UN

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1984

NEW CREMATORIUM FOR SHA TIN

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A NEWLY-BUILT CREMATORIUM WITH FOUR COMPUTERISED CREMATORS WILL BE PUT INTO PUBLIC SERVICE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IN SHA TIN.

THE 26-MILLION FU SHAN CREMATORIUM AND COLUMBARIUM IS LOCATED AT A 2.5-HECTARE SITE AT LOWER SHING MUN ROAD AND IS THE SECOND PUBLIC CREMATORIUM IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

CREMATION IS GAINING WIDER ACCEPTANCE. SO FAR THIS YEAR, 62 PER CENT OF THE DEAD WERE CREMATED. IN THE SIMILAR PERIOD, TEN YEARS AGO, THE FIGURE WAS LESS THAN 30 PER CENT, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAID.

THE MAIN FEATURE OF THE FU SHAN CREMATORIUM, WHICH WAS DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED BY THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE OF THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, IS ITS FOUR COMPUTERISED - CREMATORS.

MANUFACTURED BY A BRITISH COMPANY. THE CREMATORS ARE GAS-OPERATED AND A SMOKELESS, ODOURLESS AND DUST-FREE.

AT THE SINGLE-STOREY CREMATORIUM BUILDING, TWO CEREMONIAL HALLS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MEMORIAL AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES.

ADJACENT IS A SEVEN-STOREY COLUMBARIUM WHICH HAS 9 700 NICHES FOR ASHES.

THERE IS ALSO A GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE PUBLIC TO DISPOSE OF ASHES ON THE GRASS PLOTS, OR TO PLANT TREES.

THE LAWNS WILL BE KEPT GREEN ALL YEAR ROUND, WITH COLOURFUL FLOWERS BLOOMING AT CHING MING AND CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVALS.

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