Christmas is a festive time to think about nativity and religion. In this city which is now a part of China, it is fitting to talk about the Chinese religious culture. The photos in the post are all about death in a way, mostly the unique paper offerings which you may not find them around unless you befriend a local who knows the way.
This is the third post of an educational series to give you a glimpse into China's mysterious colours of folk religious beliefs. You may be also interested to read some related old posts are here, here and here.
^Look what the dead will get from the paper offerings…sodas! Heineken!
The concept of hell in Christianity is for the unconverted whereas the Chinese version of hell is a place for all the deceased to "check in" (more on this later). Most interestingly, this hell is open for the living people from the temporal world to visit (Do the ghosts throw parties for the open house?).
Therefore, unlike the hell in Christianity which is a painful…well…hell, the Chinese religious system depicts the hell as a rather bustling place for the living people to learn about morality. Until some ten years ago, there was a private garden in Hong Kong built by a big-name business man showing the scenes in the hell, which was open for the public to visit.
« Paper offerings in box sets include a hand-made paper fake LV wallet.
Why the hell is for the deceased to "check in"? The Chinese folk belief has it that a ghost is a fit of wind as a brief continuum of life going to dissipate in the end. That is why the Chinese has the concept of "new ghosts are bigger while preceding ghosts are smaller". In this connection, the Christian notion of soul doesn't exist in the Chinese religious culture. The Chinese common saying goes, "A perished man is like a dead lamp fire". It means nothing will be left of a dead man.
^Paper toys for those deceased at a very young age?
This makes the burning of paper offerings more puzzling. The whole thing just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. How can one believe in reincarnation, nothing left of a dead person and offer burnt offerings to the ancestors in the afterlife?
^See the paper electronic fans? Simply unbelievable craftsmanship.
Such is the appealing diversity found in folk custom. This is true for the old cultures, and valid for the present-day folkways.
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