Why We Burn Chinese and US, Not Khmer Riel Joss Money on ChhengMeng Day?

PHNOM PENH- Many people in Cambodia are seen to burn fake villa, car, passport, especially the Chinese and U.S joss money for their ancestors, during some big Chinese festivals every year.

Cambodian-Chinese (people who have Chinese blood-line) celebrate the annual festival to honor the dead, which also known as Qingming in Chinese, ChengMeng in Cambodia as well as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English, by visiting the graves or burial ground to pray to their ancestors.

Some common foods that people offer to their ancestors, during ChhengMeng’s day

In addition to their visit, they sweep the tombs, offering food, tea, and wine. Importantly, they burn the joss paper such as Car, Villa, gold, especially the U.S and Chinese ceremonial money. On the top of that, it is being questioned by many people behind the reason why Cambodian people do not burn its riel joss money but others joss money?

There are many different answers related to this matter. We have interviewed some students from Institutes of Foreign Languages. When asked this question, one student told that “I do not know the reason behind this, but only Chinese and U.S Joss money are being sold in the market, probably we have no option but to use it”.

Some Chinese and U.S joss money

However, one academic students, majoring in International Studies answered, “Personally, burning or producing Khmer joss money could be considered as illegal in Cambodia”. In addition to this, another student also expressed “From my perspective, if we burn the joss money of Khmer riel, it would be considered as disrespectful action toward the nation as well as devalue the riel currency itself. As we known, Khmer Riel represents the King, Cambodian Identities, Value, Angkor Wat and so on, if we burn it even though it is a joss money, it is still considered as an action that devalue the nation”.

Since people have different perceptions, the answer to this question could be answered differently depend on how one individual thinks how rational his/her idea is.

What do you think of the reason behind this?

Joss money were being burnt in order to offer to the spirits