What Are Chinese Paper Offerings and Where to Buy Them in Hong Kong

Hailed as a forwarding financial hub city, Hong Kong has experienced a lot of cultural shifts but the practice of feng shui or using incense and candle remains to be part of the traditional Chinese culture.

Another remarkable practice that continues to live up to now is the burning of Chinese paper offerings, popularly called joss paper. This ancestor worship ceremony is believed to send money and goods for deceased relatives and is performed during a funeral, the Hungry Ghost Festival, and the Qingming festival.

A joss paper may vary according to the material used, but you can find different paper offerings around the Hong Kong market made from coarse bamboo paper and paper money collection (replicas of Chinese Yuan, Hong Kong Dollar, US Dollar, and banknotes). Chinese or Taoist families also burn other materials or essentials such as imitations of luxurious items like gadgets, jewellery, accessories, and even credit cards.

To keep you in the loop, here's where you can buy these handmade Chinese paper offerings in Hong Kong.

Bo Wah Effigies

Established in the 1960s, Bo Wah Effigies is one of the oldest papercraft shops in Hong Kong that produces replicated paper offering items up until now.

Aside from the market-standard aluminum and gold foil paper offerings, the artisans of Bo Wah Effigies create eye-catching and life-sized items such as paper skateboards, diving equipment, electric guitars,

high-heel shoes, toothbrushes, dim sum, and even Star Wars’ Darth Vader helmet. Most of these items are ready-made and are guaranteed affordable.

To boost their business and preserve the tradition, the shop used to organise paper mache art workshops for kids who appreciate the uniqueness of this art form.

You can find Bo Wah Effigies studio along the neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po surrounded with towering skyscrapers.

Location: 2D Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon

Stores along Queen’s Road West in Sai Wan

The Queen’s Road West in Sai Wan is home to a heap of stores offering avant-garde and extraordinary contemporary joss paper designs. As you comb through the stall area, you’ll find a lot of “messy sacrificial items” or unusual paper offerings and replicas you can purchase for your deceased loved ones, like your grandad who enjoys drinking liquor or your mom/aunt who loves luxury items.

But if you’re looking for more unique items, you can check out some stores that offer Viagra tablets, massage chairs, iPhones, customised racetracks, house construction services, air conditioning units, and more.

Location: 160 Queen’s Road West in Sai Wan