Nanxijiang

Every family are expected to contribute as much as they could afford, as saying goes: "money or man, offer what you can!". And of course it usually means women first: taking care of the altar, cooking the public kitchen and even working in the "future bank".

The paper money boats is believed to be the currency popular in the other world where the late ancestors reside.

The paper money is intended to be made and collected during the 3 day's sacrificing rites, and then wired via fire to the late ancestors at the last program of the festival.

The more money you make and send them, the happier and better off the ancestors would be "over there", so they would be able to bless the village yet another even better harvest year.

We couldn't help thinking there is no surprise that paper money is such a creation of Chinese farmers: moneymaking for the family's well being and often could not help taking the job with a pinch of playfulness. After all, money is not real, what is real is the family's root and the family tree.

For an ancestral worship festival, the contribution from every family is voluntary. The details of actual cost are clearly documented by well-versed village accountants and will be pronounced publicly at the end of the festival, witnessed in front of the ancestors.

A big part of the raised fund goes to Taoist practitioners who are invited to perform worshiping rites in front of sacrificial alter. We have to say it seems to be hard earned dollar for them too. Performance of Rites officially starts at the time according to geomantic calculation. While wait for the auspicious time to arrive, they are expected to write juju for every single family in the village.