Joss paper, also known as incense papers, are papercrafts or sheets of paper made into burnt offerings common in Chinese ancestral worship (such as the veneration of the deceased family members and relatives on holidays and special occasions). Worship of deities in Chinese folk religion also uses a similar type of joss paper. Joss paper, as well as other papier-mâché items, are also burned or buried in various Asian funerals, "to ensure that the spirit of the deceased has sufficient means in the afterlife." In Taiwan alone, the annual revenue of temples received from burning joss paper was US$400 million (NT$13 billion) as of 2014.[1]
Joss paper
Traditional joss paper (金紙) sold in stacks at a store
Joss made from gold foil, dating to the Jin dynasty (266–420 AD)
Joss paper is traditionally made from coarse bamboo paper, which feels handmade with many variances and imperfections, although rice paper is also commonly used. Traditional joss is cut into individual squares or rectangles. Depending on the region, Joss paper may be decorated with seals, stamps, pieces of contrasting paper, engraved designs or other motifs.
Different types of spirit money are given to distinct categories of spirits.[2][3][4][5] The three main types of spirit money are cash (also known as copper), silver and gold. Cash monies are given to newly deceased spirits and spirits of the unknown. Golden Joss papers (jin) are mostly offered to the Deities such as the Jade Emperor. Silver Joss paper (ying) is given exclusively to ancestral spirits as well as other spirits. These distinctions between the three categories of spirit money must be followed precisely to avoid confusing or insulting the spirits.
Dabai Shoujin (大百壽金, lit. "longevity gold"): large paper squares with a golden metallic rectangle imprinted with Fu, Lu & Shou (Three Stars), can be offered to heavenly Deities.
Yijin (刈金, lit. "cut gold"): large paper squares with a golden metallic rectangle, can be offered to any level of Deities.
Jiujin (九金, lit. "nine gold"): large paper squares with a golden metallic rectangle and printed with angled shapes and characters, popular in Southern Taiwan, used to be offered to Deities's spiritual soldiers, more common offer in ancestral worship and earth guardians nowadays.
Xiaoyin (小銀, lit. "lesser silver"): small paper squares with a silver metallic rectangle, burned for close relatives, ancestors and spirits.
Jingyi (經衣, lit. "threads and clothes"): A type of joss paper with images of items needed by the dead as "daily necessity", such as clothes, shoes, cups, and scissors, printed on the surface.
More contemporary or westernized varieties of Joss paper include paper currency, credit cards, cheques, as well as papier-mâché clothes, houses, cars, toiletries, electronics and servants (together known as Zhizha in Mandarin zhǐzhā zh:紙紮). The designs on paper items vary from the very simple to very elaborate (with custom artwork and names).
In 2006, in response to the burning of "messy sacrificial items", such as paper cars, houses, and pills, Dou Yupei, the PRC deputy minister for civil affairs, announced that the ministry intended to ban at least the more extreme forms of joss paper.[6]
Much like the traditional gold and silver paper, Hell Bank Notes are a modernized version of joss paper and serve as the official currency for the afterlife. Living relatives offer them to dead ancestors by burning (or placing them in coffins in the case of funerals) the bank notes as a bribe to Yanluo for a shorter stay or to escape punishment, or for the ancestors themselves to use in spending on lavish items in the afterlife.
The word "hell" may have been derived from:
The preaching of Christian missionaries, who told the Chinese that non-Christians and their ancestors would go to hell when they died as non-believer. Purgatory as taught by certain Christian denomininations is a parallel.
A translation of the word "hell" that matches the pre-existing Chinese concept of "underworld realm," which in Taoist cosmology had been considered the one of the destinations on the journey of rebirth of every soul of the dead regardless of his or her virtue during life.
Hell Bank Notes are also known for their enormous denominations ranging from ten thousand to five million. The bills almost always are in the form of dollars or yuan, and usually feature an image of either the Jade Emperor or Yanluo Wang on the front and the "headquarters" of the Hell Bank on the back. Another common feature is the signatures of both the Yanluo Wang and the Judges of Underworld, both of whom apparently also serve as the Hell bank's governor and deputy governor (as featured on the back). Yet another feature is a Hell Bank Note being a replica of a United States one-hundred-dollar bill, with a disclaimer noting the bill is counterfeit.
A modern type of joss paper in the folded form and colour of gold bars.
Joss paper of the silver variety being folded for burning
Spirit money is most often used for venerating those departed but has also been known to be used for other purposes such as a gift from a groom's family to the bride's ancestors. Spirit money has been said to have been given for the purpose of enabling their deceased family members to have all they will need or want in the afterlife. It has also been noted that these offerings have been given as a bribe to Yanluo Wang to hold their ancestors for a shorter period of time.
Woman burning joss papers in front of her house in Hanoi after having offered food to her ancestors
Venerating the ancestors is based on the belief that the spirits of the dead continue to dwell in the natural world and have the power to influence the fortune and fate of the living. The goal of ancestor worship is to ensure the ancestor's continued well-being and positive disposition towards the living and sometimes to ask for special favours or assistance. Rituals of ancestor worship most commonly consist of offerings to the deceased to provide for their welfare in the afterlife which is envisioned to be similar to the earthly life. The burning of spirit money enables the ancestor to purchase luxuries and necessities needed for a comfortable afterlife.
Joss paper folded and ready to be burned as an offering
Many temples have large furnaces outside the main gate to burn joss paper. Folding the paper is an essential part of the burning ceremony as it distinguishes joss paper from actual money; and, it provides good luck for those who fold it. Burning actual money would be untenable for most people, and is also considered unlucky in Asian cultures. The Joss paper may be folded into specific shapes which are meant to bring on good luck and people tend to burn lavish amounts to ensure that the offering is well received.
Every fifteen days business owners in Taiwan burn spirit money in red braziers and set out offering tables on the sidewalk for both gods and ghosts. This coincides with an ancient calendar system divided into twenty-four fifteen-day periods.[specify]
A simplified modern Chinese offering is made by drawing a circle with chalk on the sidewalk or the pavement between residential buildings and burning the paper offering within the circle. This is quite common in all Chinese cities and villages today.
Due to environmental concerns, contemporary Joss paper burners are now fitted with a special cover which eliminates the spread of burning ashes. The cover allows enough oxygen in to ensure that all of the offering are completely burned.
Spirit money is most commonly burned, but may also be offered by being held into the wind or placed into the deceased's coffin at funeral ceremonies.
Depending on the type and status of the deity being worshiped, paper with metal foil or with ink seals of various sizes may be burned. Different regions of the world have different preferences for the type of Joss paper that is used. For instance, Hell Bank Notes are commonly found in regions where Cantonese populations dominate but are rarely seen or used in places such as Taiwan or Macau, which use "gold paper". The Joss paper is folded in half, or bought pre-folded into the shape of gold ingots before being burned in an earthenware pot or a specially built chimney. Joss paper burning is usually the last performed act in Chinese deity or ancestor worship ceremonies. The papers may also be folded and stacked into elaborate pagodas or lotuses.
In Taoist rituals, the practice of offering joss paper to deities or ancestors is an essential part of the worship. Some Chinese Buddhist temples, such as Singapore Buddhist Lodge in Singapore and all Fo Guang Shan affiliated temples in Taiwan have discouraged offering of joss papers during ancestral worship in their ancestral tablet hall out of concern for the environmental pollution.
Health impact
Metal contents analysis of ash samples shows that joss paper burning emits a lot of toxic components causing health risks. Studies showed that there is a significant amount of heavy metals in the dust fume and bottom ash in order Al < Fe < Mn < Cu < Pb < Zn < Cd.[7][8] Another study found that burning gold and silver joss papers during festivals can contribute to Parkinson's disease among the elderly and slow child development.[9] Burning of joss paper may also contributes to a condition called metal fume fever. Certain provinces in China have banned the burning of ghost paper out of concern for the air pollution it causes.[10]
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joss paper.
Look up joss paper in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Burning of Joss Paper. Retrieved October 23, 2008 from
Feuchtwang, S. (2001). Popular Religion in China. Surrey: Curzon Press.
Gates, H. (1987, July). Money for the Gods. Modern China, 13(3), 259–277. Retrieved from JSTOR database.
Hell bank notes - Library - Collection - Studio - Collectors Software. Retrieved October 23, 2008 from [1]
Joss Paper. Retrieved October 24, 2008
Seaman, G. (1982 Fall). Spirit Money: An Interpretation. Journal of Chinese Religions.
Thompson, L. (1989). Chinese Religion. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
March 13, 2023
joss, paper, also, known, incense, papers, papercrafts, sheets, paper, made, into, burnt, offerings, common, chinese, ancestral, worship, such, veneration, deceased, family, members, relatives, holidays, special, occasions, worship, deities, chinese, folk, rel. Joss paper also known as incense papers are papercrafts or sheets of paper made into burnt offerings common in Chinese ancestral worship such as the veneration of the deceased family members and relatives on holidays and special occasions Worship of deities in Chinese folk religion also uses a similar type of joss paper Joss paper as well as other papier mache items are also burned or buried in various Asian funerals to ensure that the spirit of the deceased has sufficient means in the afterlife In Taiwan alone the annual revenue of temples received from burning joss paper was US 400 million NT 13 billion as of 2014 1 Joss paperTraditional joss paper 金紙 sold in stacks at a storeChinese nameTraditional Chinese金紙Simplified Chinese金纸Literal meaninggold paperTranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinjinzhǐAlternative Chinese nameTraditional Chinese陰司紙Simplified Chinese阴司纸Literal meaningnetherworld paperTranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinyinsizhǐYue CantoneseJyutpingjam1 si1 zi2Second alternative Chinese nameTraditional Chinese紙錢Simplified Chinese纸钱Literal meaningpaper moneyTranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinzhǐqianYue CantoneseJyutpingzi2 cin4 2Third alternative Chinese nameTraditional Chinese冥幣Simplified Chinese冥币Literal meaningshade dark moneyTranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu Pinyinming biVietnamese nameVietnamese alphabettiền vang ma tiền am phủ đồ maHan Nom錢鐄𦄀 錢陰府 圖𦄀 Contents 1 Traditional 2 Contemporary 2 1 Hell Bank Notes 3 Use 4 Health impact 5 See also 6 ReferencesTraditional Edit Joss made from gold foil dating to the Jin dynasty 266 420 AD Joss paper is traditionally made from coarse bamboo paper which feels handmade with many variances and imperfections although rice paper is also commonly used Traditional joss is cut into individual squares or rectangles Depending on the region Joss paper may be decorated with seals stamps pieces of contrasting paper engraved designs or other motifs Different types of spirit money are given to distinct categories of spirits 2 3 4 5 The three main types of spirit money are cash also known as copper silver and gold Cash monies are given to newly deceased spirits and spirits of the unknown Golden Joss papers jin are mostly offered to the Deities such as the Jade Emperor Silver Joss paper ying is given exclusively to ancestral spirits as well as other spirits These distinctions between the three categories of spirit money must be followed precisely to avoid confusing or insulting the spirits Dabai Shoujin 大百壽金 lit longevity gold large paper squares with a golden metallic rectangle imprinted with Fu Lu amp Shou Three Stars can be offered to heavenly Deities Yijin 刈金 lit cut gold large paper squares with a golden metallic rectangle can be offered to any level of Deities Jiujin 九金 lit nine gold large paper squares with a golden metallic rectangle and printed with angled shapes and characters popular in Southern Taiwan used to be offered to Deities s spiritual soldiers more common offer in ancestral worship and earth guardians nowadays Xiaoyin 小銀 lit lesser silver small paper squares with a silver metallic rectangle burned for close relatives ancestors and spirits Jingyi 經衣 lit threads and clothes A type of joss paper with images of items needed by the dead as daily necessity such as clothes shoes cups and scissors printed on the surface Contemporary EditThis section possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed February 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message More contemporary or westernized varieties of Joss paper include paper currency credit cards cheques as well as papier mache clothes houses cars toiletries electronics and servants together known as Zhizha in Mandarin zhǐzha zh 紙紮 The designs on paper items vary from the very simple to very elaborate with custom artwork and names In 2006 in response to the burning of messy sacrificial items such as paper cars houses and pills Dou Yupei the PRC deputy minister for civil affairs announced that the ministry intended to ban at least the more extreme forms of joss paper 6 Hell Bank Notes Edit Main article Hell money Much like the traditional gold and silver paper Hell Bank Notes are a modernized version of joss paper and serve as the official currency for the afterlife Living relatives offer them to dead ancestors by burning or placing them in coffins in the case of funerals the bank notes as a bribe to Yanluo for a shorter stay or to escape punishment or for the ancestors themselves to use in spending on lavish items in the afterlife The word hell may have been derived from The preaching of Christian missionaries who told the Chinese that non Christians and their ancestors would go to hell when they died as non believer Purgatory as taught by certain Christian denomininations is a parallel A translation of the word hell that matches the pre existing Chinese concept of underworld realm which in Taoist cosmology had been considered the one of the destinations on the journey of rebirth of every soul of the dead regardless of his or her virtue during life Hell Bank Notes are also known for their enormous denominations ranging from ten thousand to five million The bills almost always are in the form of dollars or yuan and usually feature an image of either the Jade Emperor or Yanluo Wang on the front and the headquarters of the Hell Bank on the back Another common feature is the signatures of both the Yanluo Wang and the Judges of Underworld both of whom apparently also serve as the Hell bank s governor and deputy governor as featured on the back Yet another feature is a Hell Bank Note being a replica of a United States one hundred dollar bill with a disclaimer noting the bill is counterfeit A modern type of joss paper in the folded form and colour of gold bars Joss paper goods on sale in Hong KongUse EditThis article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations March 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message Joss paper of the silver variety being folded for burning Spirit money is most often used for venerating those departed but has also been known to be used for other purposes such as a gift from a groom s family to the bride s ancestors Spirit money has been said to have been given for the purpose of enabling their deceased family members to have all they will need or want in the afterlife It has also been noted that these offerings have been given as a bribe to Yanluo Wang to hold their ancestors for a shorter period of time Woman burning joss papers in front of her house in Hanoi after having offered food to her ancestors Venerating the ancestors is based on the belief that the spirits of the dead continue to dwell in the natural world and have the power to influence the fortune and fate of the living The goal of ancestor worship is to ensure the ancestor s continued well being and positive disposition towards the living and sometimes to ask for special favours or assistance Rituals of ancestor worship most commonly consist of offerings to the deceased to provide for their welfare in the afterlife which is envisioned to be similar to the earthly life The burning of spirit money enables the ancestor to purchase luxuries and necessities needed for a comfortable afterlife Joss paper folded and ready to be burned as an offering Many temples have large furnaces outside the main gate to burn joss paper Folding the paper is an essential part of the burning ceremony as it distinguishes joss paper from actual money and it provides good luck for those who fold it Burning actual money would be untenable for most people and is also considered unlucky in Asian cultures The Joss paper may be folded into specific shapes which are meant to bring on good luck and people tend to burn lavish amounts to ensure that the offering is well received Every fifteen days business owners in Taiwan burn spirit money in red braziers and set out offering tables on the sidewalk for both gods and ghosts This coincides with an ancient calendar system divided into twenty four fifteen day periods specify A simplified modern Chinese offering is made by drawing a circle with chalk on the sidewalk or the pavement between residential buildings and burning the paper offering within the circle This is quite common in all Chinese cities and villages today Due to environmental concerns contemporary Joss paper burners are now fitted with a special cover which eliminates the spread of burning ashes The cover allows enough oxygen in to ensure that all of the offering are completely burned Spirit money is most commonly burned but may also be offered by being held into the wind or placed into the deceased s coffin at funeral ceremonies Depending on the type and status of the deity being worshiped paper with metal foil or with ink seals of various sizes may be burned Different regions of the world have different preferences for the type of Joss paper that is used For instance Hell Bank Notes are commonly found in regions where Cantonese populations dominate but are rarely seen or used in places such as Taiwan or Macau which use gold paper The Joss paper is folded in half or bought pre folded into the shape of gold ingots before being burned in an earthenware pot or a specially built chimney Joss paper burning is usually the last performed act in Chinese deity or ancestor worship ceremonies The papers may also be folded and stacked into elaborate pagodas or lotuses In Taoist rituals the practice of offering joss paper to deities or ancestors is an essential part of the worship Some Chinese Buddhist temples such as Singapore Buddhist Lodge in Singapore and all Fo Guang Shan affiliated temples in Taiwan have discouraged offering of joss papers during ancestral worship in their ancestral tablet hall out of concern for the environmental pollution Health impact EditMetal contents analysis of ash samples shows that joss paper burning emits a lot of toxic components causing health risks Studies showed that there is a significant amount of heavy metals in the dust fume and bottom ash in order Al lt Fe lt Mn lt Cu lt Pb lt Zn lt Cd 7 8 Another study found that burning gold and silver joss papers during festivals can contribute to Parkinson s disease among the elderly and slow child development 9 Burning of joss paper may also contributes to a condition called metal fume fever Certain provinces in China have banned the burning of ghost paper out of concern for the air pollution it causes 10 See also Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joss paper Look up joss paper in Wiktionary the free dictionary Chinese ancestral worship Qingming Festival Zhong Yuan Festival Ancestral tablet Ancestral temple Chinese lineage associations amp Kongsi Zhizha amp Religious goods store Papier mache offering shops in Hong Kong Chinese burial money Hell moneyReferences EditThis article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations August 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message Everington Keoni 2016 11 08 Monks gone wild Fast and furious nuns monks peering at porn Taiwan News Retrieved 2016 11 17 拜 神 教 室 簡介 冥鏹及衣紙 衣紙2 Archived 2012 03 13 at the Wayback Machine 拜神用的金銀元寶衣紙及其他的排列次序 A New Chinese Trend Viagra For the Dead March 22 2007 The New York Sun Heavy metals emissions from joss paper burning rituals and the air quality around a specific incinerator Annual Air Pollution Caused by the Hungry Ghost Festival Doctors warn on toxic incense joss papers To Improve Air Quality Harbin Bans Burning Ghost Money Adler J 2002 Chinese Religious Traditions London Laurence King Publishing Ltd Asian Joss Paper Rubber Trouble Retrieved October 23 2008 from http rubbertrouble com joss php Burning of Joss Paper Retrieved October 23 2008 from https web archive org web 20070713050534 http app nea gov sg cms htdocs article asp pid 720 Feuchtwang S 2001 Popular Religion in China Surrey Curzon Press Gates H 1987 July Money for the Gods Modern China 13 3 259 277 Retrieved from JSTOR database Hell bank notes Library Collection Studio Collectors Software Retrieved October 23 2008 from 1 Joss Paper Retrieved October 24 2008 Seaman G 1982 Fall Spirit Money An Interpretation Journal of Chinese Religions Thompson L 1989 Chinese Religion Belmont California Wadsworth Publishing Company Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joss paper amp oldid 1143578956, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
