Dying to know the results? The winners of the first Cremation Technique Competition were announced in Beijing on Monday.

The contest, which ran from December 24 to 28 in the capital, saw heated competition among 54 crematory operators from across China in events judging technique, theory and "individual ability," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Participants were judged on criteria such as the whiteness of the ashes and respect displayed for the dead. 

The competition also aimed to further understanding in the field, such as cutting down on emissions, organizers said. 

Two of the top three techs, Wei Tong and Wang Yuanyuan, work at Beijing's prestigious Babaoshan Cemetery, the final resting place of famous figures such as general Zhu De, writer Lao She and naturalized Chinese journalist Israel Epstein. 

Wei Zhongshan, from Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, took the last top spot.

According to statistics from 2014, a total 83,000 were registered as mortuary science technicians in China.