Local authorities and environmentalists are hoping to lure hard-up ghosts to the suburbs with schemes to reduce the amount of pollution caused by the burning of "ghost money," paper made to resemble bills that is immolated as an offering to inhabitants of the netherworld.
Concerned that air pollution is reaching unhealthy levels in the capital, authorities in Taipei - and around the island - have introduced a variety of services to encourage residents to turn their backs on the centuries-old tradition of burning paper money in front of their businesses and homes, and show their respect by sending the bills to incinerators for immolation.
"Burning paper money causes pollution," said Huang Lu Ching-ju (黃呂錦茹), director of Taipei City Government's Department of Civil Affairs, the agency charged with promoting the schemes. "So we are finding ways to cooperate with religious groups to change this environmentally unfriendly folk custom."
Since 2000, the Department of Civil Affairs has been offering a free service for burning the paper money.
Known as "burning paper money collectively" (集中焚燒紙錢), authorities provide every borough in Taipei with 200 large red shopping-style paper bags that instruct residents to choose between offering money to gods (神明), ghosts (孤魂) or ancestors (祖先), and are stylized with traditional Chinese characters and motifs. Boroughs issue the bags to residents as needed, which are then filled with money and taken to incinerators in Mucha, Neihu and Beitou for burning. Each of the three incinerators has been ritually purified by a Taoist priest.
"It's easier to promote this kind of activity during Ghost Month because everyone is burning money," Huang Lu said.
Chinese tradition holds that the gates of the netherworld open once a year and ghosts roam the earth freely for 30 days. During this time, businesses place tables laden with food and drink in front of their premises to feed the hungry ghosts and burn money as a demonstration of their fealty.
"When the ghosts leave the spirit world they are hungry and need to be fed," said Chen Yung-te (陳永德) as he folded small sheets of paper money and added them to a small brazier in front of the investment company where he works. "That's why we have this table full of food. Burning paper money provides them with a bit of spending money."
Like many worshippers, Chen believes that the more paper money burned, the more content the wandering spirits will be and less likely to cause mischief for a business, which is believed to ensure a year of prosperity.
This year's Ghost Month began on Aug. 10. Though government agencies in Taiwan don't keep statistics on the amount of paper money purchased and burned throughout the year authorities are still concerned because burning "ghost money" releases benzene, a carcinogenic chemical compound that can damage eyes, skin and the central nervous system, into the air.
Breaking a long-held tradition, however, is proving difficult.
Walk down any Taipei street during Ghost Month, especially on the first and 15th day, which is known as Ghost Festival (中元節), and it's easy to see that many residents are ignoring the government's environmentally friendly overtures.
"It's inconvenient," said Hsieh Zhong-yi (謝忠毅), owner of a small restaurant in Shida. "We have to take the money to the incinerators ourselves."
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