ýÿA spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (September 29) said that the opening hours of columbaria under the FEHD will be extended to 7am to 7pm during the Chung Yeung Festival period (i.e. from October 7 to November 5) to assist grave sweepers as well as to lessen crowd conditions. The department appealed to grave sweepers to avoid grave-sweeping activities during the peak period on the day of the Chung Yeung Festival and pay tribute to ancestors over a wider period before and after the festival.
      
     In addition, the spokesman reminded grave sweepers to pay attention to special traffic and transport arrangements which will be implemented during the Chung Yeung Festival. Access to cemeteries and columbaria of the FEHD will be closed to all vehicles while the special traffic and transport arrangements are in operation, except for those with permission. For details of the special traffic and transport arrangements in the vicinity of cemeteries and crematoria, please browse the Transport Department website (www.td.gov.hk).
      
     At the same time, the FEHD expects that there will be a large number of visitors burning paper offerings in joss paper burners (JPBs) at the Tsang Tsui Columbarium during the peak sweeping period of the Chung Yeung Festival. In order to reduce the waiting time as well as the gathering of crowds, no walk-in queuing for the JPBs will be allowed at the Tsang Tsui Columbarium on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays during the above-mentioned Chung Yeung Festival period. All JPB users must make advance bookings via the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) or obtain queue tickets on the ground floor of the Columbarium. For details of the JPB arrangements, please browse the FEHD website. 
      
     To protect the environment and to prevent hill fires, members of the public are encouraged to adopt more environmentally friendly ways to pay respect to their ancestors, such as offering flowers instead of burning joss papers and incense. Grave sweepers should take extra care when burning incense, which should only be carried out inside a designated joss paper furnace or an iron bucket. They should make sure that all of the fire has gone out before leaving. Grave sweepers are also reminded to keep flammable items (such as alcohol antiseptic sprays and alcohol-based instant hand sanitisers) away from fires.
      
     The Government has been promoting green burials, and the FEHD has set up the Internet Memorial Service webpage (www.memorial.gov.hk) and its mobile application for members of the public to pay tribute to their deceased beloved ones anywhere and anytime.

Ends/Friday, September 29, 2023
Issued at HKT 12:00

NNNN