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China Elevator Stories
Taoist traditions in China: Burning spirit money on the street
A man lights a fire on an intersection in Siping.
14/01/2015
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
In the fall of 2014, my husband and I were in his hometown of Siping in Northeastern China. One evening, we were driving back home from a bathhouse when we arrived at an intersection and noticed a man lighting a fire on the street.
At first, I thought he was simply trying to warm himself on the chilly autumn night. But then I wondered, “Why would he light a fire right in the middle of an intersection?”
My husband quickly explained, “He’s burning Joss paper for the spirits.”
Joss paper, also known as spirit money, is burned as an offering to gods or to help the spirits of ancestors acquire what they need in the afterlife. This practice is rooted in Taoist traditions and is widely observed in China. People burn not only paper money but a variety of other items, including paper houses, cars, and even the latest model of iPhones, all in the hopes of providing for the deceased.
It’s believed that intersections are particularly abundant with spirits, making them ideal places to burn offerings, as the spirits can more easily carry them to the underground court.
My husband added, “When I was younger, I used to do this a lot. I haven’t done it in recent years.”
Have you ever seen someone burn spirit money?