High land prices and overcrowded cemeteries have forced many people in Ho Chi Minh City to prepare their own burial plots.

The costly search for a good burial plot

Binh Thanh District resident Pham Cong Tuan, 60, said he suffers from cerebrovascular affliction which could lead to death at any moment. He has travelled across the city and neighbouring localities of Binh Duong and Dong Nai to survey land prices to buy a last resting place for when he dies.

“If I pass away suddenly, it will be difficult for my children to find a burial place immediately. It’s better to prepare a site for myself,” Tuan said, adding that he is willing to buy a 10 square metre plot for VND50 million (USD2,427) in Binh Duong.

To show their devotion to their grandmother, Mr Duong Minh Hoc\'s four children in Da Kao Ward, District 1, spent up to VND80 million (USD3,883) on buying a small plot to build a tomb for her in a big cementery in Ho Chi Minh City.

“Our grandmother took such good care of us. No matter how difficult, we tried to find a good last resting place for her to express our gratitude,” said Mr Hoc’s youngest daughter.

Many families were happy to spend hundreds of millions of VND to buy land plots close to each other in Da Phuoc Cemetery. They claim that being buried near each other means that after they die, they still gather together like a family. Having a big burial plot also shows the pride and status of a family.

According to a DTiNews survey, empty land in the municipal cemeteries is extremely limited. Binh Hung Cemetery has run out of vacant land and is now undergoing site clearance for the next phase of construction. The second phase of Da Phuoc Cemetery will be also carried out soon. No vacant space can be found in cemeteries in District 9 and Thu Duc District.

Many local cemeteries have also become seriously degraded, lacking infrastructure.

The scarcity of burial land can also be seen in the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An. Many land brokers take advantages of this chance to turn a quick profit.

Mrs Duong in Ly Chanh Thang Street, District 1, complained, her family lost more than VND10 million (USD485.4) when buying a burial land plot for her mother through a broker.

The shortage of cemetery land has turned suburban, farming and pagoda-owned land into unlicensed cemeteries, affecting the city’s environmental health.

According to statistics, the Southeastern triangle area of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai witnesses over 60,000 fatalities annually, needing some 90ha for burials, the figure is forecast to rise to more than 900ha by 2020.

To deal with the situation, the city has approved cemeteries in Dong Thanh and Da Phuoc communes in Binh Chanh and Cu Chi District. A 200-ha cemetery is also being built in Ben Cat District, Binh Duong Province.

Dong Nai Province has approved the construction of An Vien Vinh Hang Cemetery in Vinh Cuu District. The park-style cemetery covering 116.24 ha includes a crematorium area, burial land for families, entrepreneurs and celebrities. The park’s developer claim it will not only ease cemetery overcrowding, but also help protect the environment.

Historian Duong Trung Quoc said preparing a last resting place is a key element of the Vietnamese cultural identity, but burial sites should adhere to environmental regulations.