Can Ancestors’ Remains Be Moved? Common Practices and Procedures for Exhumation and Reburial

Yes. An ancestor who was buried can be exhumed through jian gu (捡骨, “gathering the bones”, also called shi jin 拾金 or xi gu 洗骨) and then reburied, or cremated and placed in a columbarium; ashes already in a columbarium can also be moved elsewhere. Families generally need to speak to, and get agreement from, both the original cemetery and the receiving one, and exhuming a burial usually also requires a permit from the local authority. By custom, many families also choose an auspicious day.

In this column, FLS (福禄寿) Kuantan sets out the common reasons, timing, steps and procedures for families who are considering a move. Practice varies between dialect groups and religions, and many families rely on their elders and religious advisors for guidance.

What do exhumation and reburial involve?

Put simply, reburial (qian zang, 迁葬) means moving a loved one from one resting place to another. Jian gu is the step within a burial relocation where the remains are lifted and cleaned.

Relocating a burial

Some years after burial, a specialist opens the grave, lifts and cleans the bones, then places them in a bone urn for reburial, or sends them for cremation before placing the ashes in a columbarium. Malaysian Chinese newspapers describe this as shi jin qian zang (拾金迁葬).

Moving ashes

If a loved one was cremated and the ashes rest in a columbarium, the family can also move the ashes to another columbarium or cemetery. No grave is opened, so the procedure is generally simpler, but families still check the release and admission arrangements with both the original columbarium and the new one.

Why do some families consider reburial?

Malaysian Chinese newspapers have listed several common reasons:

• the departed wished to return to their roots, or descendants want to bring scattered graves together so they can be visited in one Qingming trip;
• the grave has been damaged by poor drainage or a landslide;
• an old family grave has fallen into disrepair and descendants want to restore it;
• some dialect groups have a custom of gathering the bones and reburying them after a number of years.

A practitioner with decades of experience told one newspaper that many families today move graves because their children have settled in the cities, and visiting is easier. Each family has its own reasons, and each comes from care for the departed.

How many years after burial are the bones gathered?

Accounts differ. Practitioners quoted in the press say at least seven years is usual and more than ten years is safer; another report notes that in some places the custom is to rebury after five to eight years.

Because timing depends on place and dialect group, many families first consult an experienced practitioner.

How is exhumation and reburial usually carried out?

Newspaper reports describe the following common sequence; details vary between families and practitioners:

1. A Taoist ritual master (nam mo 喃呒 master) or religious advisor chooses a date based on the family’s details;
2. At the chosen hour, the family offers incense at the grave and informs the ancestor of the move;
3. The grave is opened and the remains lifted, shaded by an umbrella;
4. The bones are cleaned, or sent to a crematorium;
5. The remains are placed in an urn and installed in a columbarium, or reburied as the family wishes.

Choosing the date and season

Reports note that in the past, reburials were mostly held in the months of Qingming, the Seventh-Month festival (中元) and the Double Ninth festival (重阳); today they take place throughout the year, and some families avoid the first lunar month. There is also a traditional view that if a woman in the family is pregnant, the family may wait until after the baby’s first month. Each family decides according to its own customs.

Sharing the tasks within the family

Several family members usually attend on the day, and many families agree on roles beforehand so the day runs more smoothly:

• one person liaises with the practitioner, the original site and the new resting place;
• one person prepares offerings and the things needed on the day;
• one person looks after older relatives and children;
• relatives who cannot attend can visit the new resting place together afterwards.

Is a permit needed to move a grave?

Exhuming a burial generally requires permission from the local authority, often with conditions attached. In a 2022 case in Penang, a permit to exhume a 138-year-old tomb was granted on condition that the city council was notified 10 days before the exhumation and that a council officer supervised it. Because the conditions were not followed, the Penang Island City Council issued a show-cause letter under the Local Government Act 1976.

Procedures differ between states and local councils. Families in Kuantan can start by asking the original cemetery or yi shan (义山, community cemetery) management and the local council.

Things to confirm before work begins

• the release procedure at the original cemetery or columbarium;
• the local authority’s exhumation permit and any conditions;
• the admission conditions and documents required by the new cemetery or columbarium;
• cremation arrangements and timing, if cremation is planned;
• agreement from the elders and the main family members.

Each new cemetery or columbarium has its own admission arrangements, and some set conditions. Asking early helps avoid finding out about missing paperwork after work has started.

Bringing a loved one home to Kuantan from elsewhere

Many ancestors buried in other towns are later brought back to the family’s hometown, or to the city where their descendants now live. When a move crosses districts or states, the procedures at the original site and at the new one are often handled separately, each with the local cemetery management and local council. Many families allow plenty of time to schedule the exhumation, cremation, transport and installation, and plan the day with their practitioner so that the steps are not crowded together.

How can families talk it through when views differ?

Reburial touches the feelings of several generations, and it is common for siblings, uncles and aunts to see it differently. Some hope the departed can return to their roots, some think about how easy it will be for descendants to visit, and some have reservations about opening a grave. Approaches families find helpful:

• listen first to the elders about the departed’s wishes and the family’s usual practice;
• lay out both locations, the paperwork and future visiting arrangements side by side;
• where family members follow different faiths, discuss how each person can take part;
• consult the clan association or the family’s religious advisor when needed.

Summary

• Buried ancestors can be exhumed and reburied or cremated; ashes in a columbarium can also be moved.
• Views on timing differ: seven to ten years or more is commonly cited, and five to eight years in some places.
• The process is usually led by a practitioner on a chosen date, and details vary by family.
• Exhumation generally requires local authority permission; procedures vary, so check with the cemetery and local council.
• Confirm the new resting place’s admission conditions before work begins.

Reburial is a careful undertaking and, for many families, an expression of care. With the paperwork in order, the family in agreement and a date chosen, both the departed and the living can be at peace. FLS has a columbarium and crematorium, and its FLS Life Park 福禄寿陵园 in Gambang also has a ground burial area. If your family is thinking of bringing a loved one to rest in the Kuantan area, you are welcome to find out more.

This article is brought to you by the FLS (福禄寿) Kuantan Life Education Column. More information: flsgroup.com.my

Quick answers

Can an ancestor’s grave or ashes be moved?

Yes. A buried ancestor can be exhumed and reburied, or cremated and placed in a columbarium, and ashes in a columbarium can also be moved elsewhere. Families generally need agreement from both the original cemetery and the receiving one, and exhuming a burial usually requires a local authority permit. Many families also choose an auspicious day by custom.

How many years after burial are the bones gathered?

Accounts differ. Malaysian practitioners say at least seven years is usual and more than ten years is safer, because soil conditions affect how quickly remains decompose; in some places the custom is to rebury after five to eight years. Many families consult an experienced practitioner before deciding on timing.

Is a permit needed to move a grave in Malaysia?

Exhuming a burial generally requires permission from the local authority, often with conditions. In one Penang case, the council required 10 days’ notice before exhumation and supervision by a council officer. Procedures differ between states, so families in Kuantan can start by asking the original cemetery’s management and the local council.

How can a family move an ancestor to rest in Kuantan?

Start by confirming the release procedure and any permit needed at the original site, then choose a cemetery or columbarium in Kuantan and confirm that it can accept the remains. FLS Life Park 福禄寿陵园 in Gambang, run by FLS (福禄寿) Kuantan, has a columbarium and a ground burial area; see flsgroup.com.my for details.