Joss paper (simplified Chinese: 金纸; traditional Chinese: 金紙; pinyin: jīnzhǐ; literally: gold paper, simplified Chinese: 阴司纸; traditional Chinese: 陰司紙; pinyin: yīnsīzhǐ; literally: netherworld paper, simplified Chinese: 纸钱; traditional Chinese: 紙錢; pinyin: zhǐqián; literally: paper money, or simplified Chinese: 冥币; traditional Chinese: 冥幣; pinyin: míng bì; literally: shade/dark money, also known as ghost or spirit money) are sheets of paper or papercrafts made into burnt offerings common in Chinese ancestral worship (such as the veneration of the deceased family members and relatives on holidays and special occasions). Worship of gods also uses a similar paper. Joss paper, as well as other papier-mâché items, are also burned or buried in various Asian funerals, "to ensure that the spirit of the deceased has lots of good things in the afterlife." In Taiwan alone, the annual revenue of temples received from burning joss paper was US$400 million (NT$13 billion) as of 2014.
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