In addition, others praised the ban and suggested other ancestor worship practices like offering fresh flowers and performing online tomb-sweeping, which they said were more eco-friendly and did not pose a threat of wildfires.
In 2021, Nantong recorded a total of 210 situations related to the trip, including 121 flames, according to an article published by capital officials that year.
In recent years, local governments in China have banned” puritanical” activities during festivals like the Ching Ming Festival, the Hungry Ghost Festival, and the Chinese New Year.
This time, restrictions were also announced for Heyuan in Guangdong province, Xunyang in Shaanxi state, and a city in Ezhou in Hubei province.
Some institutions have prohibited the production and sale of ceremony materials, as well as the production and sale of ashes in public places.
Following the ban, Nantong officials urged citizens to “honor the dying in a humble and non-overt way, using simple and plain techniques” and to acquire environmentally friendly practices.
They argued that” we should consciously resist royal religious practices and advocate for a civilized new culture by integrating the remembrance of the dying with the promotion of excellent family values, shifting the focus from actual tomb-sweeping to religious inheritance.”
The restrictions prompted a protest from the country’s condition- run media, with China National Radio calling the measure” very crude and large- handed”.
” In people’s common understanding, burning joss paper is just one element of mausoleum- sweeping, related to providing flowers as an expression of remembrance. It cannot be regarded as a feudal superstition”, the radio network’s news channel said.
” This kind of management is rigid, impractical, and lacks human touch. It should be treated with caution”.
According to China National Radio, an official from the Nantong Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau claimed the ban was based on applicable laws and regulations and was intended to promote” spiritual civilization construction and environmental protection.”
The official claimed that the solemn remembrance and respect for ancestors were unrelated. We put a lot of emphasis on the prohibition of manufacturing and selling in terms of market behavior, but nothing mentions using them.
This article was first published on , SCMP.