Life is full of choices–
When dining with friends, is it Western food or Chinese food?
When encountering yet another bottleneck at work, do you look for a new job or start your own business?
When living in Canada, do you buy a house or keep renting?
And there are choices that will have an effect even after you have left this world,
such as how will you choose how your remains will rest?
Burial: A widely respected, long historic tradition
As a custom with thousands of years of history, burial used to be the most common funeral choice for Chinese communities. Burials focus on expressing respect and gratitude to ancestors and it is the most basic way to demonstrate filial piety.
It is precisely because of this that in overseas Chinese communities, the market for burials Remains in demand and, Chinese communities around the world in honour their family roots and by inheriting of an ancient Chinese practice.
Cremation: economical, environmentally friendly, and gradually gaining mainstream popularity
With the acceleration of urbanization, aging populations, and an increasing value for environmental protection, cremation has become a popular choice for Canadians and Chinese communities.
According to media reports, cremation rates in Canada reached 75% in 2021, an increase of about 25% over the past 20 years. Data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China also suggests that cremation rates in China will reach nearly 59% in 2021 compared to 47% in 2015.
While burials require the purchase of larger cemetaries and tombstones, cremation often uses less land and resources and can effectively reduce funeral costs with economic advantages.
At the same time, technology developments have allowed new generations of crematoriums to be able to significantly reduce pollution emissions with less groundwater pollution risks compared to burials.
More importantly, with the changing modern perspective of “hou yang bo zang,” people generally respect this principle of “thick nourishment and thin burial–,” that is, children should respect their elders and strive to improve their quality of life so that the elderly can enjoy their old age comfortably vis-à-vis Pre-Planning. It is important for children to Pre-Plan for their parents and arrange funerals and cemeteries to ensure that everything will go smoothly when their time comes.
Whatever your decision,
Arbor Memorial serves the needs of Chinese communities
Whether a cremation or burial, the decision should fulfill yours’ and your family’s emotional needs and come after you and your family have fully understood each option.
Since 1947, Arbor Memorial has provided thousands of Chinese Canadian families with professional funeral, cemetery, and cremation services. With over 90 funeral homes, 40 cemeteries, and 20 crematoriums, Arbor Memorial is one of Canada’s largest funeral service providers.
More Chinese Canadians are choosing cremation as part of final arrangements. At Arbor Memorial, cremation often combines traditional funeral or memorial practices, such as with visitations and services held at the funeral home, church, or crematorium chapel prior to the cremation. At most crematoria, if being arranged in advance, the family can witness the container or casket being placed in the cremation chamber.
Arbor Memorial’s collection of quality cremation products, like keepsake urns made bronze, marble, or wood, jewelry, and memorial record packages, will help ensure that the memory of your loved one will be with you forever.
An urn can be buried in a special cremation garden, or placed in niche, often indoors, protected from the elements for easier year-round visits. If you already own or have access to a family lot, you may choose to inter the remains there after obtaining proper authorization from the cemetery management. If you and your spouse have different preferences for cremation and traditional burial, with Arbor Memorial, all you need to do is just simply choose a lot or crypt in a cemetery that allows for the burial of both a casket and an urn together.
Arbor Memorial has a deep understanding of Chinese cultural rites, traditions, and customs. For more than a decade, we have been building Chinese gardens at Arbor cemeteries across Canada. Every Chinese Garden is unique, reflecting the desires and personality of the local community. Our Chinese team of fluent Cantonese and Mandarin speakers and cemetery and funeral experts will help you to personalize and create a loving tribute that reflects your beliefs, lifestyle, and budget and eases the stress on your family and friends.
Pre-Plan before the rain
For you and your family,
please choose: Arbor Memorial
Reference:
[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/916310/cremation-rate-in-canada/
[2] https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/more-turn-to-sea-burials-and-cremation-in-china-as-cemeteries-become-crowded
Arbor Memorial Inc.
