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Taiwan - Spiritual Currency & Paper Gifts

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Spiritual money for ancestors or ghost worship. Taiwanese prefer 'eco-friendly' bamboo paper with gold or silver layers.

Across the global Chinese diaspora, burning paper offerings (joss paper) is meant to send ancestors, ghosts or gods gifts that they can use in the afterlife (elysium). Recently, traditional paper replicas of currencies, crafted bamboo paper with gold or silver layers have given way to modern items like paper electronic devices (phones/ tablets/ computers) washing machines, cars, tvs et cetera. There’s also passports with destination to ’heaven’, imitations of credit cards or membership cards for ’Star Cups’. In designated shops, devotees may even purchase fake McDonald’s products (well, even the whole McDonald’s outlet), cardboard snacks, papery cigarettes (the brand grandpa liked most), or spirits like Rémy Matrin or Hsnenesy Cognac. - Aside from Tomb Sweeping Day (Qingming) and the bimonthly Bai Bai remembrance prayers, some joss paper will find its way into the coffin of a deceased person too, or it will be cremated together with the remains.

Filename
Taiwan-Spiritual_Currency_ancestors_and_ghosts-7.jpg
Copyright
Claudio Sieber
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4801x3205 / 8.3MB
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Taiwan - Spiritual Currency
Spiritual money for ancestors or ghost worship. Taiwanese prefer 'eco-friendly' bamboo paper with gold or silver layers. <br /> <br /> Across the global Chinese diaspora, burning paper offerings (joss paper) is meant to send ancestors, ghosts or gods gifts that they can use in the afterlife (elysium). Recently, traditional paper replicas of currencies, crafted bamboo paper with gold or silver layers have given way to modern items like paper electronic devices (phones/ tablets/ computers) washing machines, cars, tvs et cetera. There’s also passports with destination to ’heaven’, imitations of credit cards or membership cards for ’Star Cups’. In designated shops, devotees may even purchase fake McDonald’s products (well, even the whole McDonald’s outlet), cardboard snacks, papery cigarettes (the brand grandpa liked most), or spirits like Rémy Matrin or Hsnenesy Cognac. - Aside from Tomb Sweeping Day (Qingming) and the bimonthly Bai Bai remembrance prayers, some joss paper will find its way into the coffin of a deceased person too, or it will be cremated together with the remains.