Lin Hui Zhen, 76 years old, weeps as she clutches the small bag carrying the ashes of her late husband, Fu Yao Ming, before placing them in a metal chute during a sea burial organized by the Funeral and Interment Administration of Shanghai on March 23, 2014 off Shanghai. The city has carried out thousands over the years, and although a departure from local custom, the practice is slowly gaining popularity as a real alternative to the traditional ways. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

A Chinese woman is helped after placing the ashes of a relative in a metal chute during a sea burial organized by the Funeral and Interment Administration of Shanghai on March 22, 2014. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Chinese funeral workers from the Funeral and Interment Administration of Shanghai stand as relatives board a ferry that would take them for a sea burial ceremony in the East China Sea off Shanghai. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Funeral workers push a cart carrying bags of the ashes of the deceased before handing them over to relatives prior to the burial. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Zhou Ming Fa, 72 years old, sits next to a small bag carrying the ashes of his late wife Bai Ping Lan. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Aboard the ferry, a funeral worker leads a ceremony to honor the deceased. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Relatives place flower petals in a bag carrying the ashes of a relative during the sea burial. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Lin Hui Zhen, 76 years old, weeps as she clutches the small bag carrying the ashes of her late husband Fu Yao Ming, 80 years old, before placing them in a metal chute during the burial. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images