Neighbours say funereal noises have dominated their lives since mortuary-cum-mourning hall opened just 50 metres away. Noise disturbances make up 45% of the 450,000 environmental complaints received by authorities in China in 2021. — SCMP
Neighbours of a mortuary in China which doubles as a mourning hall who say they are forced to endure constant wailing and crying have made a video of their plight to gain support on mainland social media.
In the trending video, a resident, surnamed Jiao, from Shijiazhuang in Hebei province, northern China, voiced her frustration with the mortuary which is only 50 metres away from her flat.
According to Jiao, the continuous sounds of mournful people wailing and crying prevent neighbours from opening windows or being able to sleep and cause significant psychological distress.
“At 4am we are wakened by crying. Then they play mournful music from 5am to 11am. There is a brief pause at noon, but then it resumes until 5pm,” she told the Strait Metropolitan Post.
“This current cycle has been going on for three consecutive days. But as soon as one family’s funeral ends, another begins in a couple of days.”
The controversy extends to the construction of the mortuary and the residential building where other neighbours, including Jiao, live.
Jiao said she bought the flat in 2008 before the mortuary was built in 2019. However, a mortuary spokesperson claimed that the residential building was built after the mortuary.
“We had already informed the residents about the location of the mortuary. There should have been subsidies for purchasing the flats at that time,” the spokesperson said.
The noise has already forced some residents to relocate.
Staff said they would keep noise levels down for those still living nearby but would not relocate the mortuary.
The viral video has triggered substantial backlash and discussion on mainland social media.
One person commented: “Shouldn’t a mortuary be built at a crematorium or a hospital? Why was one built along the road? Putting aside superstition, the constant noise is extremely disturbing!”
Another person added: “If it was only temporary, maybe I could understand. But if they establish a permanent mortuary, that must be demolished.”
A third person said: “If someone were alone at home, they would be frightened to death!”
According to an annual report released by China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, noise disturbance accounted for 45% of the 450,000 environmental complaints received in 2021, second only to air pollution complaints.
To tackle the problem, China revised the Law on Noise Pollution Prevention and Control in June 2022, imposing a maximum fine of 200,000 yuan (RM129,619) for noise disturbances near residential areas.
Earlier this year, a hospital in central China was fined 56,000 yuan (RM36,293) for excessive noise from a rooftop air conditioner. – South China Morning Post
