BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Eco-friendly burial shall account for more than 50 percent of all burials in China by 2020 in order to conserve land, according to a guideline released by the government.

Eco-friendly burial includes storing ashes in cells, tree burial and sea burial, said the guideline published by 16 departments, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

By 2020, there shall be funeral parlors with crematoriums in all counties and they should meet national environmental protection standards, and public eco-friendly burial facilities shall be available in all villages and towns, the guideline noted.

Chinese tradition holds that the dead should be buried in coffins beside their ancestors, but the custom has put a strain on the populous country's land resources.

To deal with the problem, Chinese authorities have promoted eco-friendly burials across the country in recent years.