Whatever one may say, but human life is fleeting, and sooner or later everyone will need a last refuge. And this issue at all times was quite relevant in the urban architecture of each settlement. And if this is such a huge metropolis as Hong Kong, then the organization of cemeteries is one of the most problematic and costly areas for the local population, and for tourists it is also very interesting, because it is in the necropolis that you can see the amazing flavor of local traditions.
Vertical cemeteries have become commonplace in Hong Kong.
Going on a trip, few people plan to visit the necropolis, even if it is old and really deserves a separate excursion. To fill this gap on the tourist map of Hong Kong, renowned photographer Finbarr Fallon spent 5 years trying to capture the most extraordinary, and sometimes completely incomprehensible for most people, in a photo.
Slopes unsuitable for human life are given over to the arrangement of cemeteries (Hong Kong). | Photo: insider.com/ Finbarr Fallon. Slopes unsuitable for human life are given over to the arrangement of cemeteries (Hong Kong).
Naturally, he didn’t manage to shoot from the ground alone, because some cemeteries can be safely called “megacities of the dead”, so the maestro also used a drone that helped to see all this unimaginable beauty from the sky.
Lack of land turns the cemetery into an incredible cluster of graves (Hong Kong).
Interesting: A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle, also called an unmanned aircraft system. Despite this high-tech name, it is essentially a robot with a flying mechanism that is controlled remotely or using built-in software with a well-defined flight plan. The latest models are closely related to onboard sensors and GPS systems.
In Hong Kong, vertical cemeteries are taller than skyscrapers.
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In his photographs, collected in a series called Dead Space, Finbarr Fallon was able to convey the unusual burial culture that has developed over the centuries. Moreover, the greatest surprise is the location of the necropolises, because due to the catastrophic shortage of land, they are made only vertical and on very steep slopes.
The process of creating terraces for vertical necropolises is very difficult and dangerous (Hong Kong).
If we compare the photographs of ancient cemeteries and more modern ones, we can clearly see a tendency towards deterioration, and sometimes complete violation of the accepted canons of organizing the territories of the "megalopolises of the dead" themselves. And this entails the loss of traditions and makes it impossible to carry out generally accepted rituals, which are very revered among the eastern peoples, because if children cannot bury their parents properly, they will always feel shame and guilt.
Aberdeen National Cemetery is the oldest necropolis in Hong Kong.
Although there are places where you can trace the history of the city, enjoying its cultural heritage and respect for the original rules and canons. Among the largest and oldest necropolises, the Aberdeen National Cemetery is famous, which was created in 1913, and about 100 thousand square meters were allocated for its arrangement. m. of land.
Aberdeen National Cemetery is the only place where all burial traditions are observed (Hong Kong).
Although it is not included in the list of local attractions, but it is on its vast territory that you can trace all the national traditions associated with the burial ceremony. Despite the fact that the cemetery is also located vertically, the slope on which it was created fully complies with generally accepted canons and basic rules.
At Aberdeen Cemetery, all graves are located according to Feng Shui (Hong Kong).
It is the Aberdeen cemetery that is famous for the location of the graves according to Feng Shui, the ideal organization of places for commemoration rituals and hundreds of other rituals that are inherent in Chinese culture. The basic rules say: the tombstone should be turned only "facing" the sea or any water surface, while tombs, graves or whole mausoleums should not be located very close to each other.
Most of the tombs, tombs and mausoleums are lavishly decorated with marble figurines or bas-reliefs (Aberdeen National Cemetery, Hong Kong).
All these requirements have been strictly observed since the day of its opening, and due to the fact that it has been closed for burials for more than a decade, everything on its territory has remained in its original form. Therefore, Aberdeen National Cemetery truly became a vivid reflection of the colorful life of the Chinese at the beginning of the last century.
Private cemeteries are more well-maintained, but the places on their territory are very expensive (Hong Kong).
The situation is much worse in other cemeteries, because they are so overloaded that the main traditions cultivated by centuries of culture began to be violated. Not only are the graves close to each other, but the obligatory direction towards the water surface is blocked by new buildings.
A modern private cemetery in Hong Kong. | Photo: insider.com/ Finbarr Fallon. A modern private cemetery in Hong Kong.
But this is not all the troubles that await the relatives of the deceased, as it turned out even in cemeteries with such inconsistencies, a tiny piece of land costs fabulous money and few people manage to buy a place on it. At a private cemetery, more than 35 thousand dollars will have to be paid for a place, and if it is an elite necropolis, the price will increase significantly.
People have been waiting for a place in a public cemetery in Hong Kong for years and not always get it.
Of course, there are also public necropolises, where a miniature piece of land costs from 7 thousand dollars, but there you can not wait at all. According to the editors of Novate. Ru, Hong Kong residents buy their places in the cemetery almost from their youth, because when the time comes, it may not be there.
Apartments in houses located next to the cemetery can be bought much cheaper, because the Chinese are very superstitious people (Hong Kong).
Well, if there is no money, then relatives have to look for cemeteries on the mainland, where they can bury according to tradition or cremate the deceased. But salvage cremation is also a very costly and lengthy process, because if a place in the columbarium is not purchased in advance, the urns are kept by relatives … at home, and this period can last for many years. But if the relatives are more affluent, then they can be deposited in the ritual bureaus, although about 100 thousand urns have already accumulated there, waiting for a place in the nearest columbarium.
Po Fook Hill is a modern columbarium that looks more like a beautiful park with traditional architecture and stairs (Hong Kong).
Cognitive: Columbarium - storage of urns with ashes after cremation. In China, they are created in a park area, turning them into complexes of amazing beauty that attract many tourists.
The metropolises of the dead are in close contact with Hong Kong's new residential developments.
Despite the fact that the city authorities are trying to solve the growing problem and have even come up with a subsidy system for those who agree to move away from the traditional method of burial. But very few townspeople agree to scatter the ashes over the sea, because this can have a very harmful effect on the soul of the deceased.
On the territory of Hong Kong there are no longer any places even for the creation of columbariums.
Not everyone in this world is so superstitious and afraid of the close location of cemeteries. Europeans are less scrupulous in this matter and are not at all afraid of such closeness, especially if there is a benefit.
