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Second Life

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(There are a number of zi zah shops, literally "funeral-paper-product shops", in the neighbourhood offering a whole array of paper offering merchanise which includes this 5-feet bungalow fitted with all sorts of modern household contents. Other prestigious items are life-size paper iphones, PSPs, notebook computers, jewellery and whatnot.)

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(On the first floor, a palm-size paper doorman is keeping guard. On the second floor, a maid has prepared tea on the tea set ready to serve.)

It is a common conception to many that the biggest oriental religion is Buddism. Think again. For one thing, Buddism has a number of splinter branches. It has been so historically widespread and relatively accommodating that the corollary is a merge with religious beliefs in folk deities. Its theories (Buddism is actually not qualified to be a religion but more a school of theory if religion is what at least a god is involved) drew the likes of the folk reiligions. Take for example, Buddism's idea of Nirvana or Enlightenment is similar to Taosim's idea of Ultimate Transformation, both of which in Chinese can be called "de doe" or literally, attaining the way.

Taoism-Buddism is one of the popular believes among the Chinese. In Hong Kong, funerals are held in the tradition of Christianity or Taoism/ Taosim-Buddism. In the latter case, people will burn paper offerings during the funeral or the yearly worshipping at the graveyard for the deceased to enjoy in the afterlife. It is believed that the deceased has to be well provided for, be it financial or other material provisions. This is where those funeral-paper-product shops come into the picture.

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