What is Joss Paper?
Joss paper, also known as incense papers, are papercrafts or sheets of paper made into burnt offerings common in Chinese ancestral worship. Joss Paper, commonly referred to as ghost money or spirit money, is a type of paper commonly used during religious ceremonies, particularly in ancestor veneration and traditional Buddhist and Taoist funerals. It is symbolically treated as currency in the afterlife. The practice centers on burning paper representations—traditionally money, but also clothing, houses, and modern items—to transmit wealth and necessities to deceased ancestors or deities in the spiritual realm.
The ritual of burning joss paper, also known as zhǐ qián (紙錢) or ghost money, is a profound practice deeply embedded in Chinese culture. Joss paper is traditionally made from coarse bamboo paper, which feels handmade with many variances and imperfections, although rice paper is also commonly used. The paper is often decorated with gold or silver foil, seals, stamps, or printed designs to indicate its purpose and recipient.
Origins & Lineage
The origins of burning joss paper trace back over 2,000 years to the early Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). Archaeological evidence supports the use of spirit money as early as 3,000 years ago. The practice evolved from ancient funerary customs where real goods and treasures were buried with the deceased to provide for them in the afterlife. However, as times changed, the burning of symbolic representations became a more pragmatic and accessible alternative.
Joss paper originated in China during the Wei and Jin dynasties (220–420 AD) and was initially used as paper money. Rather than burning it, people originally used paper money to honour deceased loved ones by placing it in burials, scattering it, or hanging it as a sign of remembrance. Over time, the act of burning paper money gained prominence due to its symbolic connection with the underworld, as the rising smoke was believed to enable communication with the spirit realm.
As Chinese papermaking advanced, especially during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), the use of paper became widespread. Craftsmen began creating intricate paper effigies of goods like houses, clothing, and money, which could be ritually burnt to transmit their essence to the afterlife. After woodblock printing technology was popularized in the Song dynasty, merchants started to use paper money known as jiaozi, which was subsequently developed into yin piao, or notes to be used as silver. Ghost money then took on a new form, using the format of woodblock printing to resemble the paper money at that time. Burning joss paper at funerals became standard practice by the 12th century and the custom arrived in the United States with the first Chinese immigrants who arrived in California during the 19th century.
The practice draws on multiple religious and philosophical traditions. At its core, burning joss paper is an act of filial piety (xiào, 孝), a fundamental value in Chinese society emphasizing respect and care for one’s elders and ancestors. Burning joss paper aligns with Taoist practices of engaging with the spirit world and maintaining cosmic balance. While traditional Buddhism doesn’t advocate material offerings to the deceased, in Chinese folk Buddhism, the practice has been integrated to honor ancestral spirits. Chinese Folk Religion: An amalgamation of ancestor worship, animism, and local deities, heavily incorporates joss paper offerings as a means to interact with the spiritual world.
How It’s Practiced
Joss paper comes in distinct forms, each designated for specific recipients. Different types of spirit money are given to distinct categories of spirits. 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 (yin) is given 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.
In modern times, offerings have expanded to include paper models of modern luxuries: cars, smartphones, and even passports, reflecting contemporary desires and the evolving concept of comfort and status. 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.
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. The ritual typically involves preparing offerings of food, lighting incense and candles, and then burning the joss paper. While the ancestors are enjoying their offerings, the men go outside and start to burn joss paper, sending the money to their ancestors. Watching dancing flames and the rising smoke, people usually murmur the names of the ancestors to inform them of receiving the cash. After the ritual, most people will leave, waiting for the wind to take the ash away, which marks the end of the traditional burning ritual. 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.
Joss Paper Today
People burn joss paper during many occasions, e.g., Lunar New Year, Ghost Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dongzhi (Winter solstice), Qingming Festival, Chongyang Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Hanyi Festival, Tin Hau Festival, etc. The two most prominent festivals are Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping Day) in early April, when families clean graves and make offerings, and the Hungry Ghost Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, when spirits are believed to visit the living.
Shops selling joss paper goods have been established in Western countries – such as the USA or the United Kingdom – by Chinese immigrants. For example, Mulberry Street in New York, also known as Chinatown, has papier-mâché retailers which are similar to those in Hong Kong. They serve the Chinese who are living there, in order to celebrate Chinese festivals. In Taiwan alone, the annual revenue that temples received from burning joss paper was US$400 million (NT$13 billion) as of 2014.
Environmental concerns have emerged as a significant contemporary issue. Metal contents analysis of ash samples shows that joss paper burning emits copious amounts of toxic components causing health risks. There is a significant amount of heavy metals in the dust fume and bottom ash, e.g., aluminium, iron, manganese, copper, lead, zinc and cadmium. 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. Digital offerings and low-emission paper alternatives have been introduced as contemporary adaptations.
Common Misconceptions
Joss paper is not simply superstition or primitive belief about the afterlife. The ritual of burning joss paper carries more cultural meanings than most people expect. It is not only related to ancestral worship, but also Chinese philosophical thoughts including Confucianism and Taoism. Families burn paper offerings not because they are confused about death, but because they are trying to stay faithful to love.
The practice should not be equated with “buying” favor from the deceased or bribing ancestors. While Hell Bank Notes are offered by burning the bank notes as a bribe to Yanluo for a shorter stay or to escape punishment in some interpretations, the deeper function is maintaining familial bonds and expressing filial piety across the boundary of death.
It is also not a monolithic practice. There are multiple variants of the rituals due to the regional differences. Facing so many ways to burn joss paper, ordinary people cannot know all the constantly changing variants. 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”.
Finally, burning real money is never part of the practice. Burning actual money would be untenable for most people, and is also considered unlucky in Asian cultures.
How to Begin
If your family burns joss paper as part of a funeral, Qingming, or another remembrance day, the most respectful approach is simple: follow the lead of the people for whom the ritual is home. Ask which offerings are appropriate, when they are traditionally burned, and how the family understands what is being sent. Different communities have different practices, and humility matters more than perfect technique.
For those seeking to understand the practice academically, scholar Fred Blake’s Burning Money provides historical and anthropological analysis. Joss paper can be purchased from specialty shops in Chinese communities or online retailers serving diaspora populations. Basic supplies include traditional gold and silver foil paper, which can be folded into ingot shapes, or pre-printed Hell Bank Notes.
Safety considerations are essential. Safety and setting matter too, especially in dense neighborhoods or places with restrictions on open flames. Many temples have outdoor furnaces specifically designed for safe burning. Urban practitioners often use metal containers or designated burning areas.
For those outside Chinese cultural contexts, respectful observation is more appropriate than adoption. The practice is deeply rooted in specific cosmological understandings of the afterlife and family structure that do not translate simply across cultures.