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WorldView
Graveyard in Malaysia Gaining Tourist Attention
Aired July 18, 2000 - 6:27 p.m. ETTHIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BERNARD SHAW, CNN ANCHOR: Usually cemeteries don't top of list for tourists, but one graveyard in Malaysia is quickly gaining attention.
CNN's Denise Dillon has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DENISE DILLON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No, this isn't an amusement park. This structure is on the grounds of a cemetery. More than 6,700 urns are kept inside here. Music, laser beams and other affects are a part of special programs families could request for funeral services.
DAVID KONG, CHINESE MEMORIAL PARK FOUNDER: This idea is from my father-in-law who passed away in the year 1985.
DILLON: On the outside, this structure is shaped like a 1,000- foot dragon. It's one of many unique sights on the cemetery grounds of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The developers say they want the cemetery to shed the dreary images of death and become one of the country's top tourist attractions. Already, there are bus loads of curious visitors coming to the cemetery to view the features of the graveyard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): This place is very clean, very majestic and very comfortable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I would say from my travel experience of other countries, there is no cemetery so beautiful such as this.
DILLON: On the burial grounds, there are massive fountains, archways and colorful statues of Chinese mythological characters, and some tombstones pay a tribute to the person blow. This is the gravesite of a famous Chinese singer during the '50s. When a visit approaches, one of the singer's songs she is famous for begins to play. One tourist says it has her thinking about her own resting place.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It doesn't matter if you book a place first, it's a path everyone has to go through.
DILLON: And the developers of this cemetery hope many will decide to go down that path with bit of flash. Dennis Dillon, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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