Words of the Director-General
The traditional eastern views about death form the contexts and spaces that people least want to consider or even deliberately overlook. Therefore, Taiwanese people have always maintained an attitude that is distant and full of taboos with regard to the funerary business and funeral parlors. However, in recent years, the promotion of transparent mechanisms and performance evaluation in the funeral services industry has led to reform in funerary culture.
In order to cope with the currently crowded environment and to lessen the negative atmosphere created by public funeral facilities to the urban conditions. In the future, funeral facilities and equipment are not only functional, but also need to make approachable and park-like landscape spaces to provide the living with spiritual functions such as emotional healing and stability. The core issue for the current time is to improve the funerary services environment, revise the funerary regulations, reform the negative customs in funerals and promote diverse funerary methods for elevating the quality of services in the funerary industry and create a funerary culture that is humane and has local colors.
Since the merger between Kaohsiung City and County on December 25, 2010, this Office has completed the overall landscape and environmental beautification works for the First Funeral Parlor and constructed the Second Funeral Parlor in Ciaotou District. In order to correct funerary rites and protect consumers’ rights, the Office has continued to conduct uniform process of offering sacrifices and evaluation of funeral and burial service companies. Furthermore, for conforming to the current trends, diverse and environment-friendly burial methods are being promoted; cemetery re-burial, beautification and greening is being conducted to beautify urban landscape and enhance living environment; funeral regulations such as Kaohsiung City autonomous management of the mortuary industry and standard tariffs have also been established; these funerary reforms have been effective. In the future, funeral facility improvement works, landscape beautification and crematoriums will also continue to be implemented for making the funeral parlor more like a park. Moreover, information on the ossuaries and cemeteries in different districts will be integrated to the networks for funeral and burial. In service to the urban development plans, cemetery re-burial and beautification will be conducted. In conformity to practical and social changes, the funeral regulations will be studied and revised and old negative customs will be reformed in the promotion of high-quality funeral services. I hope that those with experience and knowledge, supervisors and city residents will not hesitate to provide suggestions for improvement.