Money to burn
Burning money in Taiwan is serious business, especially at this time of year during ghost month. And with a full moon on the 16th of August everyone is out burning their ghost money making sure their ancestors and deities are all cashed up for another year.
With the trees cut down and the smoke produced you have to wonder about the environmental impact of so much burning. There has been some discussion about this recently with the local EPA wanting to curtail people’s enthusiasm for burning incense and money. There also appears to be a decent trade in “counterfeit” ghost money from China. Definately not the right stuff! All this money burning is a popular topic amongst Taiwan bloggers. Wandering to Tamshui provides a review of the local paper money industry. The only Redhead in Taiwan recently mused about the EPA issue while Naruwan and Fili both recently discussed it. There is even a Facebook group devoted to people against ghost money.
There are lots of ghost money currencies for different deities and spirits. A single burning usually involves some gold and silver foiled as well as large and small plain notes.
As well as money there are of course the paper houses and incense sticks that add to the conflagration.
But what I like most about all the burning is the size and shape of the furnaces. They are such a motley collection.
You can buy a standard burner from your corner spiritual paraphernalia store.
Most are a stainless steel can with holes punched in the sides.
Popular are old washing machine tubs that are about the right size with holes pre-drilled.
Then there are the bigger stainless steel furnaces with irregular holes added.
Old 44 gallon (200litre) drums make a perfect furnace. Even when they are very old and very holey.
There are the Wizard of Oz Tin Man shaped burners.
Patched burners that should have been retired long ago.
Sometime just a ring of bricks do the job of containment
When someone passes away they need a huge sum of ghost money. That is when the purpose built mega-furnace is called in.
But if you just have more money than you know what to do with, set it in a ring on a spare patch of dirt.
Somehow, despite the EPA and non-beliver’s objections I can’t see things changing anytime soon. Taiwanese will keep sending thier money up in flames for some time to come.
In the Ghost Month , the whole month of July in Lunar Calendar, the money is for respecting all the ghosts around which is a part of local Culture for the old generation. It will be changed in the new generation.
Unbelievable???
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Stephen reply on August 15th, 2008:
Thanks Cindy,
It certainly is an older generation thing. I have to ask my MIL rather than my wife for all the explainations.
But I see a lot of young people are burning as well. I think it will take a while for this old tradition to die out.
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Great pictures you’ve got there. I remember the burning of ghost money in Taiwan. I’ve been there 3 times already.
By the way I’ve linked to your site from here, good luck with your website.
http://www.chinese-course.com/links.php
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