There are many ways to honor the dead. For Chinese people, a preferred method is to burn things for them to use in the afterlife.
The idea is that spirits in the afterlife still enjoy the trappings of the real world. Many Chinese families believe that burning paper representations of money and other goods will satisfy the dead.
The ritual is practiced at funerals, on death anniversaries, and during Qingming, the annual tomb-sweeping festival in April. Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to make offerings to the dead.
