Paper fornication

Well Robyn is jetting off today to Vietnam and leaving me all alone for a week. As an office monkey I don't get to take advantage of the school holidays but instead only get the public ones (three measley days). Whilst she is gone I am planning on getting a lot of rest and meeting up with the rest of the office monkeys I know around Hong Kong, like me they have also got the short end of the Easter Holiday stick.

One event which is coming up pretty darn soon is the Ching Ming Festival. This festival is devoted to worshipping your ancestors, one aspect being by going to their graves and providing them with gifts for use in the afterlife. 'What type of gifts?' I hear you ask... Well let me show you some examples.

We have a paper boat.

A paper fan, (because i'm sure the afterlife can be a bit stuffy)

Yes, thats right, even paper coke!

But my personal favourite is this paper dog, complete with newspaper.

These articles are burnt upon arrival at the graves and the belief is that those in the afterlife can take advantage of them. To learn more about other parts of the festival then click (here).

I think this is a pretty interesting festival and intend to be celebrating certain other aspects of it with friends. In my lunch break I stumbled upon a news article that states there are some new problems occuring surrounding this festival, read below for an example.

"with the newfound consumerism in the Mainland, I suppose it was only a matter of time before concerned relatives began to think not just about ancestors' material needs but also their other earthly pleasures. On March 22, a local paper, The Standard, picked up a piece from China's state media complaining that relatives were now purchasing paper replicas of "Viagra, as well as condoms and heavily made-up bar girls." It continued, "The Beijing Morning Post called for a crackdown on the sex-related 'vice' offerings but said high demand was ensuring sales." (source)

This is a rare occasion where I am lost for words.

bx