While some worry about being unable to afford burial fees, some people are choosing to donate their bodies for medical research after they die. But with only 6, 000 people donating their dead bodies over the past 3 decades in Shanghai, it's far from enough to satisfy the need.

After the farewell ceremony, Mr. Li's body will be used for research in the Medical Department of Fudan University. Donating his body to medicine was the last wish of Mr. Li's life.

Mrs. Li, Mr. Li's relative, said, "He wouldn't have lived as long without the help of modern medical science and hard working doctors. So I respect his choice to donate his body."

More than 6, 000 people had donated their body by the end of 2011 in Shanghai. Their remains serve as study materials for medical students in the city.

Tan Deyan, vice-dean of Anatomy Department, Medical School of Fudan Univ., said, "Our students have no way to learn about anatomy if no one is willing to donate their body to science. What people donate are our textbooks."

Dong Xinyu, student of Medical School of Fudan Univ., said, "We're grateful, and we know that our task is to learn about the human body and make contributions to medice."

And a cadaver also contributes a lot to medical development.

Zhu Hongguang, dean of Pathology Department of Fudan Univ., said, "Through anatomy, we discover new illnesses and learn the causes of symptoms that could not be explained before. We learn new things and become more experienced."

More than 30, 000 Shanghai residents are registered to donate their bodies currently, and the number is increasing. However, the supply is still far short of demand. The biggest obstacle is that relatives are usually unwilling to follow the procedure.

Ma Qiang, vice-director of Shanghai Red Cross Soceity, said, "It is morally unacceptable for Chinese people to allow medical students to use their parents' bodies in such a way."

Experts say that the key to increase body donation is to reduce the relatives' psychological burden.

(CNTV April 5, 2012)