Name (English): Joss Paper Street
Name (Chinese): 紙錢街
Category: Markets & Malls
Address (English): 138 Queen’s Rd W, Sai Wan
Address (Chinese): 上環皇后大道西138號
Address Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/iX6gFyDcdEbYYLvf6
Address longitude and latitude: 22.28649408445918, 114.14531510641939
Nearest MTR Station: Sai Ying Pun Station Exit A1
Nearest MTR Station Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/HiasxtKWpX95FyaH6
Nearest MTR Station longitude and latitude: 22.287217349338196, 114.14443382544933
How far from the nearest MTR Station: 1-minute walk from Sai Ying Pun Station Exit A1
Opening Hours:
MON 10:00 – 19:00
TUE 10:00 – 19:00
WED 10:00 – 19:00
THU 10:00 – 19:00
FRI 10:00 – 19:00
SAT 10:00 – 19:00
SUN 10:00 – 19:00.
Recommended Time to Visit: before 5 pm
Accessibility Note: easy access
Reminder: General hours of most joss paper stores are similar but their opening hours may vary
Paper debris in flames, clouds of smoke and ashes rising, people covering their nose and mouth with hands when passing by… The scene of people burning joss paper inside an iron bucket on streets does look a bit bizarre – but it is a Chinese folk religious tradition that has been passed on through generations, to make offerings to ancestors. In recent years it has been transformed into a cultural asset apart from mere honoring, as the variety of the combustibles is unimaginable and there are only a handful of artisans in town who have mastered the art. Check out the “Joss Paper Street” on Queen’s Road West （皇后大道西）, and expose yourself to the “billion-worth” stores!
The joss paper is also known as “ghost money”, which the locals would burn on special occasions like funerals, Tomb-sweeping Day （清明節）, Hungry Ghost Festival （孟蘭節）, and birthdate and death date of the dead, to better their afterlife. Some business owners would even pay respect to the wandering spirits outside their stores to prevent any disturbances from them. The choice of the paper item is mind-blowing, from daily necessities like food, clothes and billion-dollar banknotes, to mansions and even gadgets of the latest trends – you can for sure offer anything to the departed souls to make them compatible with the real world.
The handcrafted paperwork is totally worth taking home but you’d better burn it as soon as possible since keeping it is associated with bad luck.
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