Citizens scatter the ashes of their deceased relatives in the sea at a sea burial in Tianjin, north China, March 31, 2013, ahead of the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, which falls on April 4 this year. Photo:Xinhua

Candidates can get a reward of 3,000 yuan ($435) if they choose sea burial for their deceased family members who have registered as Fuzhou permanent residents, according to a newly released notice by the local government of Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province. 

The move was introduced to guide locals to change their traditional ways of burial to a more ecological approach, local officials of the Fuzhou civil affairs bureau said.

During the sea burial, two relatives can sign up for the farewell ceremony and take the boat to scatter the ashes of the deceased respectively. Free snacks and drinks will be served on the boat. Relatives can obtain a certificate of sea burial afterwards. 

Candidates are able to receive 3,000 yuan as a reward from Fuzhou Funeral Affairs Center if the buried person had registered as permanent resident of Fuzhou. If the deceased was not a Fuzhou resident, they can still get free sea burial but not the award, the notice co-released by Fuzhou civil affairs bureau and the city finance bureau said.

The free sea burial service will last for two years starting from March 10. Generally, a sea burial activity is organized around Tomb-sweeping Day on April 5 every year.

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