Unclaimed ashes jam funeral houses

Efforts to track owners of long-leftover urns result in 'very limited' outcome

In a hidden corner of Hefei Crematory is a dark, brick storeroom with roll-up garage doors. It rarely receives visitors, and when it does, it's usually only to drop off another urn of unclaimed ashes.

The one-story temporary building is packed with creaking shelving units holding 1,300 dusty boxes made of pottery or wood.