BEIJING, March 28 -- A German company says it has the solution to China's lack of cemetery space - pyramids.

The company is looking to build Babylonian ziggurat-style pyramids in the city, which only use about 14 percent of the space used by current burial methods.

The terraced pyramids would be between two and five meters tall and cover 25 to 81 square meters of ground. They would contain six to 11 layers where the ashes of cremated bodies could be stored.

The smallest of the pyramids could store more than 400 sets of remains, while the 11-story pyramid would be able to store more than 1,600 urns.

"Each urn only takes up 0.3 square meters," said Rudolf Zarth Geschaftsleitung, general manager of the Cheops Kolumbarien. "The maximum space saved is equal to the size of a soccer field."

Currently, cemetery plots cover 3 square meters each and can only store two sets of remains.

The ziggurat tombs would be built out of steel and granite, and a mechanical arm inside would be able to move the urns if and when needed.

The company has already built two such pyramids in Germany, and sold 40 percent of the spots inside them.

The idea was inspired by a company manager's trip to Egypt many years ago. He took out a patent for the idea in 1996 in Germany.

"It especially suits modern Chinese families, as families are becoming smaller nowadays," said Geschaftsleitung.

The company is currently discussing the idea with several local funeral homes.

"I think locals might have a hard time accepting such new burial style," said Zhu Jinlong, director of the Shanghai Funeral and Internment Service Center.

Traditionally, Chinese believe the dead can only rest in peace if they are buried in soil, and they think it is bad luck to have their ashes buried under someone else's.

Local authorities said last week that 80 percent of the city's cemeteries will run out of plots in five years.

Zhu said the city will give serious consideration to the pyramid scheme.

"I respect the Chinese traditions," said Geschaftsleitung. "But it might be possible that one day pyramid tombs will be the only burial option for Shanghai people due to the scarcity of land."

He said the price of a spot in one of the German pyramids is 2,000 euros (US$2,406), plus an annual fee of 70 euros.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)