Culture Shock | Burning money to worship the ancestors?!

During special Chinese festivals such as Tomb-Sweeping Day QngMng Ji, in some old areas of China, you may see people burning paper by the sidewalks. When you get close you will be surprised, because you will find them burning "money".  But is it real money? Of course not. Actually it's called Ancestor Money, better known as Joss Paper mng b.

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What is Ancestor Money?

Ancestor money has different names including ghost money, spirit money, Joss paper, heaven notes etc. Most of them will have the image of the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor is a Higher God in the Taoist pantheon and is considered the deity over all money on earth.

Ancestor Money looks kind of like toy money.  You can tell it's not "real" but it still has the elements of spendable currency.  The idea of producing it was to supplement "real" money to give to deceased loved ones.  The concept was that the passed on family members can use this "money" in the afterlife to get things they need.  There is even ancestor clothing, houses, cars, computers and more!

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Burning Ancestor Money is becoming a new trend in the west.

There are even some "internationalized" versions of Ancestor Money  which are printed with the head of a foreigner and written in English.

The cultural connotation of burning Ancestor Money.

Ancestor worshipping is not asking for favours, but to fulfill ones filial duties. The act is a way to respect, honour and look after ancestors in their afterlives, guaranteeing the ancestors well- being and positive disposition towards the living, as well as the living descendants possibly seeking the ancestors guidance or assistance.

The social or non-religious function of ancestor worship is to cultivate kinship values like filial piety, family loyalty, and continuity of the family lineage.

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Contents are provided by Guangzhou Shine Mandarin.

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