Annual tomb-sweeping clogging up city streets

Traffic congestion is forecast on many city roads until December 21, as people visit cemeteries to pay tribute to their departed ancestors for dongzhi, the Winter Solstice, authorities said on Monday.

Winter Solstice, like Qingming Festival, is a time for Chinese people to pay respects to their ancestors.

The city's 54 cemeteries and columbariums are estimated to receive more than 2 million visits by tomb sweepers, bringing an extra 320,000 vehicles onto city streets, according to the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau. 

More than 23,000 urns are expected to be interred during the period.

"Some residents delayed on-the-spot tomb sweeping and interment of urns from the Qingming Festival to the Winter Solstice due to the pandemic, leading to the increase," said Huang Yifei, director of the bureau's funeral and interment department.

Peak days for tomb visits will be December 19, 20 and 21, when close to 1.3 million visits are expected, bringing an extra 203,000 vehicles onto city streets. 

The busiest day will be the day of dongzhi, December 21, when 660,000 people are predicted to visit cemeteries and put an extra 104,000 vehicles on roads. More than 10,000 urns will be interred that day.

The large number of cemetery visitors will put pressure on services and epidemic prevention at cemeteries and columbariums, said Huang. 

On the three busiest days, tomb sweepers will be required to make reservations in advance, and the number of sweepers will be kept below 50 percent of the daily maximum capacity of cemeteries.

Jiading, Fengxian, Qingpu and Baoshan districts, as well as the Pudong New Area, are predicted to be the most crowded, as each is projected to receive more than 270,000 tomb sweepers during that period.

Expressways and roads leading to cemeteries in these districts will be more congested than usual.

Traffic congestion is expected on certain parts of the S2, S4, S5, G50 and G1503 expressways, as well as Huaxia Elevated Road, Zhufeng Highway, Hunan Highway, Jiasong Road N., Yueluo Road, Tanglu Road and Xinsiping Highway.

The Binhaiguyuan Cemetery in Fengxian District, Songhe Cemetery in Jiading District, Xianhe Cemetery in Minhang District, Baoluomingyuan Cemetery in Baoshan District and Fushouyuan Cemetery in Qingpu District are forecast to receive the largest number of tomb sweepers.

"Online remote tomb-sweeping platforms will be improved and cemetery staff can also sweep tombs for families if requested," said Zeng Qun, deputy director of the bureau.

Cemeteries will host group burials and other commemorative and eco-friendly burial events on non-peak days to relieve pressure, said Zeng. 

Strict health monitoring and disinfection measures have been imposed at cemeteries, and all tomb sweepers are required to wear masks, have their temperatures taken and health QR codes checked. 

Setting off firecrackers at cemeteries is prohibited.