Prices of cemetery plots have soared above already exorbitant housing prices in major Chinese cities, the People’s Daily reports, and they are out of reach for many ordinary families. Paradoxically, while some inexpensive plots do exist, they do not sell well because many Chinese believe that fulfilling filial duties requires purchasing expensive plots for vanity.

Recently, the Chinese celebrated Qingming, an annual occasion for honoring the dead in each family by sweeping their tombs. At the time, the soaring price of burying the dead came under increased scrutiny.