Ching Ming and Joss Paper

Ching Ming is a Chinese festival that usually occur on April 4 or 5th of each year. It is also known as the Tomb Sweeping Day. It is a traditional Chinese festival that dates back more than 2,000 years. Ching Ming is a time for families to reminisce and pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting their grave sites. The observances would include tidying the ancestors' grave sites, replacing the deteriorated flowers with the new ones, as well as burning joss paper and lighting incense. Food such as barbeque pork, chicken, fruits such as oranges and grapefruits will be laid in front of the headstone as an offering to the deceased. In Confucian ideals, "Filial piety" is an important virtue of respect, obedience, and care for one's parents, elderly family members as well as the ancestors. Therefore, the Chinese are obligated to visit their ancestors' grave sites on or around Ching Ming, regardless of how busy they are. 

                                                               From: http://www.sxc.hu/

The Ching Ming festival is the time to remember our ancestors and reconnect with them, even though we no longer live in the same dimension. However, Ching Ming does not necessary meant to be a solemn occasion, as Ching Ming coincides with the beginning of spring. Some Chinese will fly kites with their children near the grave sites as a way to connect with the nature, or enjoy the greenery by having a picnic after the observances.

Ching Ming is a statutory public holiday in the "Greater China Region." My family and relatives are always busy during the Ching Ming festival. In the morning, my aunties would go to a Chinese diner to order some "Chinese poached chicken" with the head (it is very important for paying tribute to our ancestors) as well as Chinese roast pork belly with crackling, which is my favourite. Also, they will purchase some fresh oranges bananas, incense as well as all kinds of joss paper in a joss paper shop. Joss paper are made of coarse bamboo paper and can be decorated with stamps, seals or even made into the folded forms and colours of "Gold Bars" and "Hell Bank Notes." Hell bank notes are forms of joss paper that were printed to assemble the legal tender bank notes. To the Chinese, Hell bank notes is the authentic currency for the afterlife. Modern hell bank notes are known for their large denominations. In fact, it is common to see hell bank notes that were made in $10,000 or larger denominations, sometimes even in millions. Therefore, I used to joke to my sister that there was a huge inflation down in 'hell' and a $1 million hell currency will only buy you a loaf of bread.

The Chinese have a different connotation of 'hell' than the western civilizations. Most of them believe that everyone will eventually go to "hell" after they pass away. Hell simply refers to afterlife where people will be judged by the Jade Emperor, who rules the afterlife. So, 'technically' how does "hell bank notes" get 'transferred' from the human to the death? By burning them in incinerators. Sometimes, the Chinese would put all the joss paper 'goodies' into a paper bag and write the names of their ancestors on top of the bag before burning them. It is almost like writing "From" and "To" on regular mails. The burning of 'hell bank notes' enable the ancestors to purchase the luxuries and necessities for a comfortable afterlife. Other earthly things that are being created by joss paper include houses, cars, credit cards, iPhones or even concubines! 

                                                   
                                                               From: http://www.sxc.hu/

With the advance of technology, joss paper shop business is on the sunset. Joss paper products could now be mass-produced in many forms, sizes and shapes. However, the art of making them is gone as the youngsters are unwilling to enter this business. I sure hope that there are more efforts to be made to preserve this unique form of traditional Chinese art. I believe that the art students in the "Greater China Region" should collaborate with the joss shop masters to help rejuvenate the joss shop industry. The Ching Ming festival is closely tied to joss paper. Our ancestors may blame us down in "hell" for being stingy if we do not burn enough joss paper 'goodies' to them during Ching Ming!