Two men were incinerating ghost money in an incinerator
Every temple in Taiwan has an incinerator. Such is the case at the Kaiji Martial Temple in Tainan. Two men were working in an incinerator set up in a small corner of the temple grounds. Inside, flames were visible, and one after another, the men were placing yellow paper into the incinerator. The yellow paper was Joss paper, also known as ghost money.
Joss paper is money to be used in the afterlife. In Japan, it is used as a fee for crossing the Sanzu River and buried with the dead at funerals, but in Taiwan, it is a bit different. No matter how much trouble the ancestors may be in, there is no way to pass on the votive offering to the ancestors. They may be incinerated and reduced to ashes so that they can be used in the afterlife.
Even so, from a practical point of view, the temple will continue to accumulate dedicated joss papers. It must be necessary to incinerate them as the men in the photo are doing before the temple is filled with them.
| Jan 2017 PEOPLE TAIWAN | |
| BACK SHOT DUO MAN TAINAN TEMPLE |
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PHOTO DATA
No
9993
Shooting Date
Sep 2016
Posted On
January 5, 2017
Modified On
October 3, 2023
Place
Tainan, Taiwan
Genre
Street Photography
Camera
SONY ALPHA 7R II
Lens
SONNAR T* FE 55MM F1.8 ZA
