The smiling god of wealth, the money tree full of coins, the bronze coins printed with the words "Zhao Cai Jin Bao"... A 88 Fiji commemorative banknote with a strong Chinese flavor issued by the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) has recently become popular on the Internet. As we all know, commemorative banknotes are usually issued to commemorate major national or international events, outstanding figures, scenic spots, rare animals and plants, etc. This "God of Wealth" commemorative banknote issued by Fiji without warning makes many netizens feel unclear. Many people began to question the timing and significance of the commemorative banknotes, while others believed that the matter should not be politicized.
The "Chinese God of Wealth" commemorative coin was issued in Fiji
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on the 10th, the Fiji Reserve Bank issued a Chinese-style 88 Fiji commemorative banknote, and deliberately set the issue time on August 8, "because in Chinese culture, the number 8 is considered a very auspicious number, implying wealth and good luck." One side of the commemorative banknote is printed with the motifs of "God of Wealth" and "Money Tree", and the God of Wealth holds a banner with "Wishing you prosperity" next to it is an ancient coin with the words "Zhao Cai Jin Bao". On the other side of the banknote are the Fuso flowers, the Fiji national emblem and the signature of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji. This commemorative banknote is a non-circulating banknote priced at 28 Yuan Fijian Dollar (about 87 Yuan).
The commemorative banknote, which has a strong Chinese style, has also sparked controversy on social media. On the one hand, the timing of the issuance, some netizens questioned why the Chinese-style commemorative banknotes were issued at a time when "China's growing influence in the Pacific region has triggered diplomatic tensions". On the other hand, there is the significance of the issuance, "the issuance of commemorative banknotes inevitably has a certain purpose, such as to commemorate events of national or international significance," said Biman Prasad, the leader of fiji's opposition, "so I think the controversy is what this commemorative banknote is commemorating.".
In response to "misinformation and speculation on social media," RBF issued a statement saying, "The commemorative banknotes are mainly issued for Chinese and wider Asian collectors." This is just one of hundreds of non-circulating commemorative banknotes issued by RBF since 1974, after which RBF issued commemorative coins with the themes of Christmas, celebrities, landmarks, Fijian animals and more. De La Rue, a British company involved in the design and production of the commemorative banknote, said it was issued to express the blessings of good fortune to people in a "challenging era".
Neisau Tuidraki, a collector of commemorative banknotes from Fiji, believes that this commemorative banknote expresses Fiji's affirmation of the local Chinese community. About 8,000 ethnic Chinese live in Fiji, or about 1 percent of the local population. "Fiji's Chinese community is small, but it's significant." At present, Naisso has contacted her family to help her buy commemorative banknotes. Prasad also acknowledged: "The Chinese community is respected locally and has made a significant contribution to fiji's development.
"There's so much controversy about this, and I don't think it should be politicized." Meijun Qian, a professor of finance at the Australian National University, pointed out that the issuance of the commemorative banknote is a symbol of Fiji's economic cooperation with China, "maybe Fiji just wants to achieve more economic ties with China in a symbolic way".
The road to popularity in China
The last time China went out of the circle because of paper money was because of the dark coin , something that made Chinese feel taboo, and even banned in many provinces because of environmental protection issues, which set off a boom on the extranet.
In 2014, a YouTube blogger claimed to have "discovered a mysterious force from the East" – the living remit money to the dead ancestors incineration, and the ancestors could use these banknotes to make a living in another world, such as buying daily necessities, bribing Yama (the legendary ghost king who rules the life and death of all beings in hell on earth) to get shelter, and the ancestors would also bless his descendants in another world. "However, the banknotes used by our ancestors were different from those of mortals." Some foreign netizens who claimed to be knowledgeable introduced that this was a kind of legal foreign exchange issued by the "Heaven and Earth Bank" and the "Underworld Bank", controlled by the Jade Emperor, signed by the Yama King and the Judge of the Underworld, and circulated in the underworld.
This statement, which has no scientific basis, has successfully aroused the curiosity of foreign netizens, and they have joined this somewhat choking "transfer ceremony". Some good things on YouTube netizens have also made tutorials: first of all, prepare the "five elements" items, including phnom penh photo frames, potted plants, containers containing water, lit candles, and crystals, representing "gold, wood, water, fire, and earth" respectively. In addition, the ancestors' favorite foods and notes with transfer information are also essential. However, it is also this enigmatic sense of ceremony that makes foreign netizens have fun.
I don't know if it is a psychological effect, Amazon's buyer comment area and many foreign netizens said that they received the "blessings of the ancestors" - some people said that they were quite lucky to be admitted to the ideal university, some people said that they won the big lottery the next day after burning, and some people complained: "The most hated point in China is that everything is hidden, so that so many magical skills are drowned in the long river of history." Chinese netizens sighed: "Although the US dollar dominates the world in the world, the Chinese currency has become the universal settlement currency of the global underworld." ”
News source: ABC, picture from the internet
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