The Tainan City Government is promoting a “zero public cemetery“ policy, which includes encouraging the public to choose the more environmental natural burial over traditional burial practices, and gradually relocating cemeteries to create space for major road construction and other urban development projects.

台南市政府推動「零公墓」政策計畫，針對重要道路開闢及城市發展需求逐年辦理遷墓，並鼓勵環保植存安葬祖先。

Tainan City Government’s Bureau of Civil Affairs says that the government has so far relocated close to a thousand cemeteries and built parks or industrial infrastructure in their places.

民政局表示，配合推動「零公墓」計畫，已遷葬上千座墳墓，市府將土地闢為公園或結合工業區腹地建設。

To promote environmentally friendly burial practices, Tainan City in 2014 established a 0.5-hectare natural burial ground in Tainan’s Danei life memorial park – the first natural burial ground in the nation. This year, the government is planning to double its size.

為了倡導節葬，台南市於二○一四年開設全國第一座「骨灰植存專區」，位於大內生命園區，已完成○．五公頃開發，今年計劃再完成○．五公頃。

Natural burial is the direct burial of cremated remains in a toxin-free, biodegradable container that allows the elements to return to the soil over time in a natural manner. To minimize human impact on the environment, the practice does not use any markers or tombstones; nor does it involve the burning of incense, candles or joss paper.

所謂的「骨灰植存」，即遺體火化後，將骨灰裝入無毒易分解的環保容器，埋藏覆蓋，不作任何記號或立碑、不焚香祭拜、不燃燒香燭紙錢，能減少環境負擔，訴求貼近自然回歸大地。

According to the Bureau of City Affairs, since the natural burial ground opened registration three years ago on March 26, 2014, nearly 800 people have been buried there, a sign that many people are open to the practice.

民政局表示，「骨灰植存專區」自一○三年三月廿六日開放申請，至今三年來已近八百件入土為安，顯示家屬接受程度高。

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2017/04/12/2003668522