Strengthen funeral service management; four departments require proper arrangements for the 2026 Qingming Festival memorial activities.

On March 17, the Ministry of Civil Affairs informed that the Ministry of Civil Affairs and three other departments recently jointly issued a notice, requiring all regions to comprehensively prepare for the Qingming Festival tomb-sweeping activities in 2026, strengthen and improve funeral service management, guide the transformation of customs, and actively prevent and resolve the risks of forest and grassland fires. The notice emphasizes that civil affairs departments must effectively fulfill their responsibilities as industry regulators, supervise and guide funeral service institutions to strictly implement the public disclosure system for service items and fee standards. Funeral service institutions should enhance their service awareness by increasing service windows, extending service hours, optimizing service processes, and strengthening humanistic care, among other measures, to establish green and convenient channels for special groups such as the elderly and disabled, fully ensuring the tomb-sweeping needs of the masses.

In promoting green and low-carbon tomb-sweeping practices, the notice requires that civil affairs departments and funeral service institutions innovate service models, launch and optimize online tomb-sweeping service platforms such as the internet and mobile apps, and encourage the public to commemorate the deceased by offering fresh flowers, planting trees, and greening initiatives. In areas where conditions permit, civil affairs and veterans affairs departments may organize public memorials for martyrs and remembrance activities for heroes. Localities are encouraged to hold collective memorial activities for donors of bodies, sea burials, and those who do not retain ashes, promoting the noble spirit of boundless love and civilized ecology.

The notice also requires that civil affairs, veterans affairs, forestry, and grassland departments strengthen collaboration and consultation, comprehensively assess safety management during the tomb-sweeping period and the fire prevention situation in forests and grasslands, and build a solid safety defense line. Efforts should be intensified in joint inspections and law enforcement, making full use of technology such as video surveillance, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things to thoroughly investigate risks and hidden dangers. A strict 24-hour duty and leadership rotation system must be implemented to enhance the overall coordination of safety work, improve emergency response capabilities, and resolutely prevent accidents resulting from crowding, such as stampedes and casualties. (Xinhua News Agency)