People Offer Life-Sized Tanks, Planes & Sofas Made Out Of Joss Paper During Qing Ming
Why do their ancestors need military tanks in the afterlife?
By Yap Wan Xiang — 29 Mar 2023, 09:56 AM
We have seen people offering bank towers, guard dogs, sports cars, satellite TV setups, and even lingerie made out of joss paper during the Qing Ming Festival
But if you think you have seen it all, you are gravely wrong!
Because, a viral video that surfaced recently shows a field with a wide display of joss paper-made items, ranging from military tanks, Mercedes-Benz cars, airplanes, and many more.
The video was uploaded to a Penang community Facebook group, but the one-minute clip was also re-uploaded and forwarded on many social media platforms and messaging apps.
While it is not mentioned in the captions where the video was filmed, it is likely to be China as the joss paper-made military tanks feature three-dimensional red star emblems, a symbol similar to that of the People's Liberation Army.
Moreover, the licence plates on the joss paper-made vehicles start with a Chinese character followed by an alphabet, a numbering system that is unique to China.
FYI, the Qing Ming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Festival in English, is when the Chinese visit the burial ground or columbaria of their late loved ones to offer their prayers and the practice is also served as a remembrance.
They often burn joss paper-made items, typically treasure boxes and gold ingots, as a form of offering to their ancestors, believing that they will receive these items in the afterworld.
To help you identify all the joss paper-made items found in the blink-and-you-miss-it video, here are the 15 most bizarre offerings we saw:
12. Bicycles
They are those from the olden days in Beijing, which come with a case that houses the chain.
