It’s not just the human world that has been globalized — now it appears that even the afterlife has been unable to resist the pull of globalization. Worshippers no longer need to confine themselves to burning the traditional ghost money printed to look like New Taiwan dollars. Companies printing ghost money now offer US dollars, euros, Japanese yen and Chinese yuan as well as gold nuggets and gold bars made of paper, perhaps indicating that the market for offerings to the deceased has become more diversified in response to consumer demand.
A ghost money retailer from Taichung City’s southern district explained that in recent years society has undergone rapid changes. Many innovative products are hitting the markets, such as the foreign currency ghost money that is now in production. Although these new products are two or three times more expensive than regular ghost money, they’ve gone down very well with consumers.
The retailer, surnamed Lin, said that a few years ago ghost money manufacturers came up with the idea of producing replica NT$1,000 notes that could be offered directly to a ghost to spend in the afterlife. Later on, some manufacturers shook up the market by producing look-alike US dollars, Euros, Japanese Yen and Chinese yuan. It’s even possible to buy five currencies in one package, giving yet more choice to the consumer.
But is burning ghost money in foreign currencies as effective as burning traditional notes? Lin said ghost money is intended to be spent in the afterlife, so burning foreign currency could let the ghost travel overseas, which is a positive effect.
(liberty times, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
國際化現在已經不限於陽間，近日往生後的世界，似乎抵不住世界潮流，也跟著吹起一股國際化風潮。目前市面上傳統的金紙之外，除了新台幣，製造廠也推出美金、歐元、日幣及人民幣的金紙，而且還有紙製的金塊、金條等物品，以供民眾購買焚化，可說是因應市場需求而變化多端。
台中市南區販售金紙的一個業者解釋道，近年來社會變化較快，許多創新的產品紛紛出籠，其中廠商推出以各國紙幣為圖案的金紙，其價格雖然比傳統金紙貴上二到三倍，卻最受大家歡迎。
林姓業者說，在幾年前就有金紙製造商想到了好點子，以新台幣千元大鈔圖案來製作金紙，讓消費者可以直接「燒」給好兄弟使用，後來又有製造商推陳出新，目前已有美金、歐元、日幣及人民幣等外國貨幣的金紙出現，甚至有製造商將五種貨幣的金紙打包在一起，讓消費者可以有多種選擇。
至於燒這些外幣的金紙是否能達到原本的功效？林姓業者表示，其實金紙就是讓陰間的好兄弟花用的紙鈔，燒外幣給他們，就是讓好兄弟能出國旅行，也算是功德一件。（自由時報記者林良哲）
At an unusual event, a group of people gather and sit together without interacting or checking their phones. Instead, they concentrate on nothing at all and empty their minds for the Space-Out Competition. Originally proposed by South Korean artist Woopsyang in 2014, this event is a form of performance art. It challenges the social expectation to remain constantly busy in this fast-paced world, offering competitors a pause from their routines. For 90 minutes, players are scored on how well they “space out” based on artistic and technical aspects, with their heart rates monitored every 15 minutes. Then, the audience votes for
Jiang Yiwu paced the small room and wondered how the leader of the Literary Society had got here. He could hear the Russian and Manchu police outside. They were looking for him. The Russians controlled the railways now, cutting through China, taking land and resources. The people were angry, and so was he. The revolution was almost ready. But things went wrong. Sun Wu, a key leader, lay in the hospital with critical wounds. The explosives were meant for the revolution but detonated by accident. Sun and the revolutionary plans were discovered by the police. Jiang grimaced at the
A: Taiwanese-language pop singer Jody Chiang is finally staging a comeback after having “turned off the microphone” for nine years. B: Yeah, she’s set to perform for the National Day celebration at the Taipei Dome this Saturday. A: As the best Taiwanese-language singer, it would be a big loss if she continued her hiatus. B: Recently, Chiang revealed that she quit singing in 2015 due to cancer. A: That’s shocking. But it’s great to see her healthy and able to turn the mic back on again. A: 台語歌后江蕙「封麥」9年後，終於即將復開唱了。 B: 對啊她本週六將參加國慶晚會，在大巨蛋開唱。 A: 江蕙可是最棒的台語歌手，如果不唱歌太可惜了。 B: 她最近才透露，其實2015年是因為罹癌才會「封麥」。 A: 真是令人震驚！能再看到她健康地「開麥」太好啦。 （By Eddy Chang,
A: Apart from Taiwanese-language pop diva Jody Chiang’s comeback, South Korean girl group (G)I-dle is also performing in Taiwan this weekend. B: I know. They have concerts at the Taipei Arena on Saturday and Sunday. A: Actually, to meet their fans’ high demand, they’ve added one more show on Friday. B: They’re even adding a show? That shows how popular they are. A: My favorite group member is Taiwan’s Susan Yeh, known by her stage name “Shuhua.” Let’s go cheer her on. A: 本週末除了江蕙復出，南韓熱門女團(G)I-dle也將開唱唷。 B: 我知道，他們本週六、日將在小巨蛋開唱。 A: 應粉絲的要求，他們本週五還會加場。 B: 還加場？不愧是韓流人氣女團。 A: 我最喜歡台灣團員葉舒華！我們快去幫她加油吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
RSS