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Written by: Wang Jieen
2021-04-11 18:47
Last update date: 2021-04-11 18:47
The Hong Kong Government plans to build a large columbarium in Shaling, providing about 200,000 columbaria, which is the largest public facility of its kind in Hong Kong so far.
However, the project has recently been attacked by the establishment, netizens in the Mainland and established media. Some netizens in the Mainland questioned that the Hong Kong government did not consider the feelings of the people in Shenzhen.
Looking at the information, the original purpose of the construction of the Shaling Funeral City was to solve the problem of the increasing number of deaths and cremation cases in Hong Kong, and the high demand for niches.
The FEHD announced its policy in 2010 and identified 24 sites for the development of columbarium in 18 districts, including the "Super Cemetery" in Shaling. The project has already been "announced" near Shenzhen.
In the past, the government consulted the district councils and rural committees until it applied to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council for funding for the preliminary project. It still passed a large number of votes.
In other words, after three generations of chief executives have been in office and the ground has been broken for more than three years, they finally met resistance after the start of construction, bringing unknowns to the project.
The Hong Kong government plans to build a large cemetery in Shaling to provide about 200,000 columbarium niches. However, the site is close to Shenzhen and has recently been sniped by the establishment and mainland netizens.
(Photo by Zheng Zifeng)
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The project has gone through three generations of chief executives and started to launch
The Shaling Funeral City was planned in the years of former Chief Executive Donald Tsang. At that time, he proposed that "there are niches in a district."
The FEHD announced its policy in 2010. It identified 24 proposed sites in 18 districts, including the undeveloped part of the Shaling Cemetery that is currently controversial.
After the last Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying took office, the authorities consulted the North District Council on the Shaling Super Cemetery in 2012 and 2014, and introduced relevant plans to the District Council. Later, in 2014, they consulted the townships in Sheung Shui and Ta Kwu Ling. Affairs committee.
The then Secretary for Food and Health, Gao Yongwen, also visited the Shaling Cemetery.
Afterwards, the current Chief Executive Carrie Lam submitted funding for the land formation project to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council in 2017, which was approved by cross-party support.
Extended reading: Go straight.
Many pictures | The Shaling Columbarium looks across the river at the top of the Luohu Commercial City in Shenzhen has been transformed into a construction site
In July 2012, the then Director of the Food and Health Bureau, Gao Yongwen, went to the Shaling Cemetery to inspect the site of the columbarium facility planned to be built in the cemetery.
(Government Picture)
The death toll is expected to increase by more than 50% in 20 years
In the District Council documents that year, the government mentioned that Hong Kong is facing an aging population. It is predicted that the death toll in 2037 will be as high as 71,800, far exceeding the 45,000 in 2017. Therefore, it plans to build a columbarium and cremation in the Shaling Cemetery. To provide about 200,000 columbarium niches in phases, and provide "through-train" funeral services.
According to the waiting time for reuse of columbarium, as of March 10 this year, there are currently nearly 30,000 people waiting for niches. Among them, the standard columbarium in Diamond Hill, the last applicant has been waiting for 123 months It will take up to 10 years to get a niche.
With reference to the design drawings of the Shaling Funeral City, in the first phase of the columbarium, it can be seen that the buildings are built against the mountains, and the department stated that plants and trees will be used as barriers.
(District Council Document)
It was mentioned that the neighbouring Shenzhen would use plants as a barrier
The government described in 2014 that the Shaling Cemetery is far away from the city center and a large part of it has not been developed, so it is very suitable for the development of funeral facilities.
In the EIA report, it has already been mentioned that the project is adjacent to Shenzhen. Although the current site has only a small development and is mainly surrounded by nearby hills, it is in sharp contrast with Shenzhen.
According to the report, there are modern high-rise buildings in nearby Shenzhen, which can be seen from the north.
In 2018, when the government introduced the design, it mentioned that the appearance of the columbarium will be integrated with the surrounding environment and scenery through garden and architectural design, and plants and trees will be used as barriers to minimize visual and psychological impact.
In the EIA report that year, it had already been mentioned that the project was adjacent to Shenzhen, and the high-rise buildings in Shenzhen could see the site from the north.
(Environmental Impact Assessment Report)
The left side of the picture is the "Super Cemetery" in Shaling, and the right side is the Luohu District of Shenzhen.
(Data Picture/Photo by Sun Shengran)
Rumor has it that Shenzhen once reported the problem to the Hong Kong government
As early as 2016, the newspaper "AM730" quoted information saying that Shenzhen believed that the funeral city was very close to the residential buildings in Shenzhen. Therefore, Shenzhen met with officials of the Hong Kong Food and Sanitation Bureau at least twice.
However, the report said at the time that the Food and Health Bureau stated that it had no intention to change the plan, and eventually the two sides broke up.
The FEHD announced the policy in 2010 and identified 24 sites for the development of columbarium in 18 districts, including the "Super Cemetery" in Shaling.
(Photo by Zheng Zifeng)
The land formation project has been funded by the establishment and supported by the pan-people. Construction has started for more than three years
Later, in 2017, the government applied to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council for about 1.85 billion yuan for land formation and infrastructure projects for the Shaling Funeral City.
At that time, among the 42 members of the Legislative Council who voted, it passed by a large number of 41 votes, and only Zhu Kaidi voted against it.
As for Chen Keqin, He Junyao, Zhou Haoding, and Rong Haien who are currently opposed to the plan, they also voted in favor of the project. It can be described that the project received "cross-party support" in the Legislative Council. The project also started in December of the same year.
In 2018, the roads and footpaths were also expanded, and roads, waterworks, drainage and sewage discharge projects were carried out.
The current project has been under construction for more than three years and is expected to be completed later this year.
At that time, the project was passed by a large number of members, including many established legislators, such as Rong Haien, Liu Guoxun, and Chen Keqin who had spoken out against it recently.
(Screenshot of Legislative Council Document)
Until last year, the government applied for another 1.24 billion yuan to the Finance Committee for the construction of about 54,000 niches in the first phase. However, it was opposed by Members and the government wanted to withdraw the plan.
The Shaling Columbarium has been dragged for 10 years to take shape
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