Chinanews client, Beijing, April 2 (Zuo Yukun) Ching Ming is approaching, which is also the most watched time of the year in the funeral industry.
Recently, the "cemetery loan" launched by individual banks has aroused heated discussions in the society.
"Graveyard loan" challenges social pain points
Regarding "cemetery loans" and "beautiful gift loans", Zou Lan, Director of the Financial Markets Department of the People's Bank of China, gave a severe criticism at the press conference of the State Council Information Office on April 1. Individual banks challenged social pain points under the banner of so-called financial innovation. Leading residents to excessive debt has touched the bottom line of social public order and good customs, and has departed from the role of financial services to the real economy.
"Graveyard loan" is essentially a consumer loan. Why are banks eyeing this market and creating gimmicks to get customers?
Behind this, cautiously chasing farther away, and the people's morals return.
Since ancient times, people have been in awe of life and death. With the improvement of people's concept of "behind things", this formerly "unspeakable industry" has gradually formed a big industry and a big market.
Data map: People sweep the grave and send their grief.
Photo by Yang Bo
According to data released by the China Funeral Industry Association in 2014, the consumption of the funeral industry in the country was 200 billion yuan that year. This data is expected to reach 600 billion yuan by 2020 and one trillion yuan by 2023. The funeral industry It has slowly developed into a special service industry with huge prospects.
But behind the development of the industry is the public's dissatisfaction with the "extreme profits" of the funeral and interment industry.
Since 2003, the funeral and interment industry has entered the "Top Ten Profiteering Industries in China" for several years.
"Our country's current funeral and interment industry is still in a gray state, and the asymmetry of information and the mentality of taboo death also make funeral and interment services frequently show high prices." Some analysts pointed out.
Under the pressure of an aging population, the problem of "more people and less land" in the cemetery field has become increasingly prominent. The precise marketing of "cemetery loans" points to the high price of cemeteries and the shortage of cemetery resources.
There are local cemeteries where prices are close to housing prices
I found out that as the price of cemeteries has increased year by year, the price of cemeteries less than one square meter in some places has reached the price of housing prices. There are real cases of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in a tomb, and even some places still appear. The phenomenon of buying a house to place the urn.
"The cemeteries on our side range from a few thousand to tens of thousands. For some of the more well-known cemeteries in Changping District, Beijing, the simplest traditional tombstones start at least 100,000." Ms. Xi, who is engaged in the funeral industry in a municipality directly under the Central Government, Said.
"There are two main factors affecting the price of cemeteries, one is the level of local economic development, and the other is the geographical environment of the cemetery." Ms. Xi told Chinanews.com that the price of cemeteries in cemeteries with good geographical environment is generally higher than that of other cemeteries. For example, the price of cemeteries around the Ming Tombs in Beijing and Mang Mountain in Luoyang is generally higher than that of cemeteries in other local areas.
Data map: A citizen worships the deceased, pinning his grief.
Photo by Zhang Hao issued by China News Agency
Funeral and interment include two parts: "funeral" and "burial". The former generally refers to various mourning ceremonies and activities before the deceased's burial, and the latter refers to the deceased's burial process and subsequent sacrificial activities.
In addition to the cemetery, the funeral supplies market has also experienced a long period of chaos.
According to media reports, “the urns bought at a bid of 20 to 30 yuan are put on the shelves of the funeral home, and the price reaches 300 to 400 yuan; the urns with better materials and the cost does not exceed 100 yuan are sold. To one or two thousand yuan; as for some so-called special high-end material urns, they can easily sell to five figures."
How to alleviate the anxiety of "Can't afford to die"?
"But now our side is much more mature." Ms. Xi told Chinanews.com, "When the land was not so tight, strangers could buy the cemetery in advance. Now the cemetery and cemetery are in short supply. The policy changes, only the death. Only those who have a death certificate can buy it, and the price is only slightly controlled."
This is also an important step in China's funeral reform.
According to the "Guiding Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of Funeral and Interment and Promoting the Scientific Development of Funeral and Interment" by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, in addition to pre-sales (rents) to husbands and wives living together, elderly people, and critically ill patients to ensure their own use, cemetery operators must strictly present death certificates or cremation Proof of sale (rental) of graves or ashes storage spaces.
The reform of funeral and interment is to abolish all superstitious and extravagant ways of handling the remains of the dead and the custom of handling funerals, and replace it with a scientific and frugal method of funeral and interment and a form of mourning.
Data map: The civilized festival sweeping propaganda posters posted by the city streets.
Photo by Zuo Yukun, China News Service
In response to structural problems in the funeral and interment field and a series of chaos that have plagued the people for a long time, in June 2018, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and other 9 departments also jointly issued the "National Action Plan for Special Rectification of Outstanding Issues in Funeral and Interment", focusing on cracking down on funeral services and intermediaries. Violations of laws and regulations in the sale of services and funeral supplies.
Ms. Xi said that her funeral home requires that the profit of all commodities cannot exceed 30% of the purchase price.
"It was really expensive in the past, but it has gradually changed in recent years. Maybe each local policy is different, but I think it will gradually develop like this in the future, and huge profits will not go far."
"I also hope that in the future, there will be more policies to benefit the people in terms of funeral and interment expenses, and more reimbursements." Ms. Xi said, now it costs tens of thousands of dollars for each incident.
Although it is much cheaper than before, it is still a big expense for many families.
I often meet the families of the deceased, and the houses are sold for medical treatment. I really have no money. It is very difficult to have a funeral.
According to reports, the family members of retirees in our country can receive a sum of money after their death, which is what we call funeral expenses and pensions.
The country does not clearly stipulate the standard for disbursement of this money. Each province, city, and region has its own disbursement standard.
"In terms of social insurance payment for funeral expenses, the focus that needs to be improved is the pension insurance payment mechanism for funeral expenses." Guo Lin, a research scholar in the field of funeral and interment and an associate professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, once said that funeral expenses are a one-time payment and will not be paid to pension insurance funds. Cause excessive additional financial pressure.
"On the one hand, a socialized funeral expense payment mechanism should be truly established in the employee pension insurance, and the pension insurance fund should assume the corresponding financing responsibilities, so as to realize the transformation of the funeral expense payment from unit security to social insurance, thereby reducing the enterprise's participation in market competition. Burden. On the other hand, it is necessary to fully implement the old-age insurance system for urban and rural residents to pay for funeral expenses." Guo Lin said.
"Let the deceased decently leave, the funeral industry can also walk in the sun"
"Actually, many things can only go long and lasting only when they are in the sun. They can't survive in the dark side forever, just like our industry." said Xiao Wang, a post-90s enchanter.
The enchanter, also known as "the beautician with the last dignity of life", "wears white rubber gloves to open the cosmetic case, combs hair, applies foundation, blushes, strokes eyebrows, and applies lipstick, except for special remains. A series of procedures are performed in 15 It can be done proficiently within minutes", this is Xiao Wang's daily work.
Xiao Wang's husband is a hearse driver. He basically transports more than 2,000 deceased people every year. At most, he and his colleagues transport more than 100 deceased people a day.
Winter and summer are the busiest times for their work. In summer, the temperature is high. Most of the elderly died of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and traffic accidents caused by rain and snow in winter increased.
"A hearse driver is a very solemn profession. In addition to having good psychological qualities and excellent driving skills, he also needs to undergo special training, including how to use the body bag, confirm the remains, and treat those with infectious virus remains. Transportation and handling and wrapping of abnormally deceased and mutilated corpses; also learn professional language, common ethnic customs, etc. For example, in some places, the remains cannot go the same way as the ashes go home." Xiao Wang introduced.
Data map: The enchanter arranges makeup for the deceased.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Wei Liang
Xiao Wang recalled, "The first time I put on clothes for the deceased, it was cold to hold his hand; the first time I tried to shave the deceased, I was careful not to'scratch him'; the first time it was for the deceased. After applying foundation, the master taught me to wipe the eye part horizontally. During the process, I inadvertently wiped it vertically. Unexpectedly, the deceased’s eyes suddenly opened. I quickly said I’m sorry.”
Since working for several years, Xiao Wang has seen all kinds of requests from family members, including nail polish, hair dyeing, hair cutting, and wedding dresses, etc. She and her colleagues will try their best to meet.
"All we can do is to let the deceased leave with dignity and dignity." Xiao Wang said.
"A long time ago, the makeup of the corpse was painted with Peking Opera oil paint, which would be very dramatic, with a very white face and a red mouth. For corpses that died abnormally beyond recognition, the old practice was to wear sunglasses or masks to the deceased. Everything is covered, and it's a bit scary to see it launched." Xiao Wang told Chinanews.com.
"But now, we are often busy for two or three days just to try to restore the deceased's mouth, eye and nose to its original appearance, and the makeup of the body is more natural, and there is no sense of violation of the original." In Wang's view, the entire funeral and interment industry is currently developing in a better and more humane direction.
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