Since my maternal grandparents were not Cantonese, they did not qualify to have a place in the popular Chinese Cemetery above Serramonte Shopping Center. When they passed in the 1980's, there weren't many choices in the area for resting places. San Bruno houses a huge military cemetery (national) and there were a few scattered in Colma (John Madden joked there's more dead than living here... probably true!) Daly City, and South San Francisco. Now, there are more options mostly on or around El Camino Real.
My parents found this tranquil resting place just above El Camino Real. The landmarks for me are the Home Depot and Best Buy which are just up the hill from here. If you look at the posted photos, the occupants are predominantly Chinese. As real estate prices soar in the area, I noticed there's more Chinese cemeteries advertising space on the East Bay these days.
This location is less windy and a bit more modernized with easier access to garbage receptacles and water faucets, making it more convenient for visitors to pay their respects. My cousin annually finds someone to repaint the tombstone to keep my grandparents' memory fresh in our minds while others bring flowers and food to celebrate their memories.
When we visited during the recent Memorial Day, there were several families also visiting, some even setting firecrackers to ward off evil spirits. I'm a bit less traditional as I usually offer a prayer for them given my Catholic faith. And smile as I think about how they lived their lives. read more