Applications for the burials have begun. Relevant materials and ashes are required to be submitted to the city’s funeral service center before 4 p.m. March 16 for the sea burial and between March 15 and 25 for the flower burial.

This year, the center will, for the first time, provide a flower burial by pouring ashes into biodegradable containers and then burying them beneath flower beds.

The flower burial area, located at Jitian Cemetery, has five flower beds, which are not engraved, named, or labeled, that can be reused.

Shenzhen provides free sea and flower burials for both locals and nonlocals, according to the city’s civil affairs bureau.

Since 2018, the city has introduced incentives to encourage the public to choose green burials including sea, tree, and flower burials. The deceased’s families are paid subsidies if the deceased was previously a permanent resident of the city or nonlocals who passed away in the city.

A family can receive 3,000 yuan (US$416.7) per sea burial and 1,000 yuan per flower burial.