The long-standing tradition of burying the dead has gradually reduced Da Nang’s land resources and adversely affected the local environment.  Therefore, cremation of the deceased is now regarded as the optimal solution because this practice is more civilised and affordable than burial, and more suitable for today's world.  However, many local residents remain to be convinced of the benefits of this civilised ritual.

In 2008, the city’s government launched the ‘Building Da Nang into an Environmentally-Friendly City’ programme, and set a target for cremations to reach 50% over the 2011 - 2015 period.  However, the actual figure is only 5%.

The An Phuoc Vien Crematorium

Also in the same year, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Environment One Member Co Ltd constructed the An Phuoc Vien Crematorium in Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Son Cemetery.  After nearly 7 years of operation, only 519 cremations have so far taken place there. 

According to the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA), the annual number of cremations in Da Nang is equal to the figure recorded in Hai Phong City in only one month, Ha Noi 15 days and Ho Chi Minh City 7 days.

The number of cremations in Da Nang is low compared with those other localities seemingly because the burial rite has been deeply ingrained in the religious and cultural lives of local residents.

According to the Deputy Secretary of the Da Nang Buddhist Sangha, the Most Venerable Thich Chuc Tin, it is believed that cremation is not acceptable and a body should be buried, intact, in the ground so that souls can find their way back to their former homes.

The Deputy Director of DOLISA, Mr Thai Dinh Hoang, remarked that focus should be on further raising the public's awareness of the benefits of cremation in ensuring a civilised urban lifestyle, protecting the local environment, and saving local land resources for deployment as urban development projects.