Reservations required for city tomb sweeping

A reservation system will be put in place at cemeteries and columbariums in Shanghai during this year's Qingming Festival with online tomb sweeping encouraged to prevent large gatherings, the city civil affairs authorities announced on Saturday. 

Qingming, which falls on April 4 this year, is a time when people clean up their family tombs and pay tribute to their ancestors.

Those who wish to inter urns or sweep tombs in person between March 28 and April 12 are required to make reservations in advance, from March 26, Zeng Qun, deputy director of Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, told a press conference. 

Only a few visitors will be allowed during the period, and others are advised not to make unauthorized visits, he said. 

A maximum of 10 participants will be allowed at interments from each household. Sweepers are limited to five per tomb and are required to visit at their reserved time. They need to have their  temperature checked and present their health QR code for entry, said Zeng. 

"People are advised not to visit cemeteries and columbariums until the epidemic ends. 

"Online tomb sweeping platforms will be opened by cemeteries in the city via their websites or WeChat accounts, enabling residents to pay tribute to their relatives online," he said. 

Cemetery staff will also sweep the tomb on their behalf, following procedures such as cleaning graves, bowing, and laying flowers, with photos recording the whole process. 

“Preventing gatherings is key to epidemic prevention and control and we will continue promoting eco-friendly burials, online tomb sweeping and flower tributes rather than firecrackers. 

"We call on residents to change their deeply rooted ideas and to work with us," he said. 

Funeral and interment  venues in the city have witnessed a decrease in visitors of over 70 percent since the outbreak began, according to the bureau. 

Shanghai's 54 cemeteries and columbariums received 2.19 million tomb-sweepers on last year's Qingming Festival, according to the bureau. Authorities reported severe congestion on roads and expressways.

About 6.3 million visits were paid to the city's cemeteries and columbariums during the sweeping peak from March 30 to April 7 last year, bringing an extra 850,000 vehicles onto the roads.