The origin of the Underworld: a product of folk Xi
In China, there is a special kind of paper product that has existed since ancient times, and it is the dark coin. This kind of yellowed tissue paper, or delicate paper artwork, carries the emotional needs of the Chinese nation to mourn the ancestors.
Hades coin, a paper product specially used to worship the dead, is derived from ancient Chinese folk Xi. In the hearts of our ancestors, the thoughts of the living could be conveyed to deceased relatives by burning paper money.
This unique approach stems from the Chinese understanding of the cycle of life and death, as well as the mourning and nostalgia for the ancestors.
In ancient times, the vast majority of ordinary people hoped for a good life in the next life. Because of the suffering in this world, they hope that at least the next life will be bitter. Therefore, people imitated the shape of coins on paper and cremated them into ashes, hoping that the deceased would be able to enjoy food and clothing and wealth on the other side.
This spontaneous folk ritual gradually evolved into a large-scale national Xi. On the Qingming Festival or important sacrificial day, people buy paper money and bring it to the grave to burn.
During the mourning period, it is necessary to prepare enough coins for long-term memorials. Rich or poor, every family will burn a coin in the coming year to show their mourning.
With the passage of time, the underworld currency has become a unique death ritual and afterlife ritual of the Chinese nation. It not only has the actual sacrificial function, but also contains the memory of the ancestors.
This ancient Xi turns the thoughts of the living for the dead into rising ashes, connecting this world with that world.
The Evolution of the Pluto: From Simple to Complex
From the initial simple yellow paper to the gorgeous and colorful later generations, the evolution of the stygian coins reflects the different imaginations of people in different historical periods of the afterlife.
In the early days of the coin, it was still very rudimentary, but it was made of yellow or white linen paper, made in the shape of a copper coin. This represents the most basic need of people – to be able to trade in the next life, and not to be short of food and clothing.
In the Tang Dynasty, a more prosperous era in Chinese history, the style of the dark coins also changed. It began to appear auspicious words such as "Tongbao" and "Fortune and Treasure".
On the one hand, it means that money can be circulated in the next life, and on the other hand, it also shows people's desire for wealth in the next life.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the style of the dark coins showed a very high artistic standard. Not only can you see specific depictions of rich and noble life such as houses, carriages, and servants, but even the face value of the underworld coins is getting higher and higher—from ten wen and one hundred wen to ten taels and one hundred taels.
This reflects the fact that as society accumulates wealth, the extravagance of the upper class also becomes more and more prevalent. People not only want to be rich in this life, but also want to continue this glorious life in the next life.
Later, there was a dark coin printed with the portrait of the Jade Emperor. This stems from the influence of TV dramas, which have become a portrayal of the yearning of many ordinary people in the afterlife. Finally, to this day, there are various types of underworld coins, with a face value of up to 100 million yuan, which is enough to meet the needs of modern people for various imaginations in the afterlife.
Through this evolutionary process, we can more deeply interpret the Chinese's expectations for the next life—from simple food and clothing, to luxurious enjoyment, to the otherworldly realm of immortals.
This also reflects the Chinese nation's pursuit of a better life.
The Spread of the Stylist: Across the Sea
The Xi Xi custom of burning coins to worship ancestors has also spread across national borders and prevailed all over the world with the spread of Chinese culture.
At first, it was an American anthropologist who accidentally discovered the ritual in Chinatown. With an interest in academic research, he documented in detail the style, use, and significance of the coins in Chinese culture, and wrote books to introduce them to Western society.
Although it has been somewhat enlightening to the academic community, it has not aroused much interest in mainstream society.
Until a few years ago, an American blogger shared the experience of burning the Pluto on social networking sites, saying that he passed the exam after making a wish, and lamented that the Pluto coin was "amazing".
This sharing has received wide attention, and more people have shared their experience of the "miracle" of the stygian coin. Under such layers of dissemination, the underworld currency quickly became popular overseas and was regarded as a "magic tool".
In fact, the reason why the underworld currency can cause a boom in the West is that it satisfies people's sense of novelty and mystery. There is always a mystical attraction to exotic cultures. What's more, this trendy way of communicating has brought some inspiration to modern society: we can still keep in touch with the deceased; It is equally important to pursue communication on a spiritual or conscious level.
In today's world, material life is becoming more and more abundant, but people often feel empty. The Netherworld allows one to imagine a "spiritual world", which opens the door to the mind. Perhaps it is the spiritual sustenance it provides that attracts people around the world to embrace this element of Chinese culture.
This is where the wisdom of the East and the West meet.
The Emergence of Localized Stylists: A Symbol of Cultural Identity
When Chinese coins became popular overseas, some countries also began to design coins with local characteristics, which is a symbol of cultural identity.
In the beginning, foreigners also bought Chinese-made coins for sacrifices. But later they found that it was inconvenient to directly use the Chinese portrait coins in the mainland, and it was difficult to achieve the effect of spiritual sustenance.
As a result, they began to design their own localized stygian coins.
Most of these coins are depicted with historical figures from their own countries, such as the American coins with the heads of Washington and Lincoln, or the British pounds with the portraits of the Queen of England. Some countries also incorporate elements of their own culture into their coins, such as the pyramid pattern on African coins.
This expresses their need for their own cultural identity.
In fact, cultural identity is the collective psychology of every nation and every country. When a foreign culture is to be recognized by the local community, it must be integrated with the local culture.
Therefore, the emergence of localized styls can also be seen as a positive acceptance of Chinese stygian culture, which has been endowed with new local significance.
In today's multicultural world, we need to respect every culture. The Chinese culture's mind of "the world is for the public" is also reflected in the fact that the currency can be integrated into the context of different countries.
We need to be tolerant of diversity and embrace the global reinterpretation of the culture of the underworld.
The Commercialization of Pluto Culture: Symbols That Have Lost Their Meaning
When the traditional Chinese culture was spread around the world, some people did not respect its intrinsic meaning, but turned it into a tool for consumption and speculation, and this commercialization may make the currency lose its original cultural value.
In recent years, some merchants have sold the coin directly as a commodity on supermarket shelves, turning a sacred sacrificial item into a mass consumer product. There are also special training courses on the underworld, claiming to teach students how to gain wealth by burning the underworld, turning it into a superstitious activity.
At the same time, some self-media and online marketing accounts also produce a large number of videos of the title party in order to brush traffic. They exaggerated that burning the underworld coin can "skyrocket performance", etc., turning the underworld coin into online chicken soup.
This kind of commercialization lacks understanding and respect for cultural connotations.
When the Pluto is only used as a commodity or a traffic tool, the meaning behind it is lost. It originally represented the Chinese nation's mourning and remembrance of the ancestors, and contained love and respect for the deceased.
If it is alienated into consumer games or online marketing, it is detached from the original essence of the dark currency culture.
Therefore, when we are disseminating our own traditional culture, we need to pay more attention to guiding its core spirit and avoid being covered up and distorted by commercial interests. The intrinsic value of culture is much higher than the economic value, and we should cherish the true meaning of culture.
Reflections on the culture of the underworld: tolerance or alienation
When the traditional Chinese culture of Hades spread to the world and appeared commercialized, it also triggered the reflection of Chinese. Should we adopt an inclusive attitude toward this kind of cultural transmission, or should we be wary of its alienation?
Some Chinese people are worried that under the effect of commercialization, the underworld currency has been seriously alienated, which is very different from the original cultural connotation of China. It has become a consumer game and a means of online marketing, detached from the original purpose of sacrifice and mourning.
Whether this kind of alienation can still be regarded as the spread of Chinese culture is worth pondering.
But on the other hand, traditional culture keeps pace with the times, which is a process of continuous adaptation. The fact that the currency can be accepted and reinterpreted in different cultural contexts also reflects the inclusiveness of Chinese culture.
After all, it has led to a better understanding of Chinese traditions, which can also be seen as the result of cultural exchange.
It is important that we remain open and inclusive. It is true that the operation in a foreign country is often different from our traditional perception. But it also gives us an opportunity to reflect on our own culture and integrate through mutual learning.
When we speak up for traditional culture, we should also speak up in a calm tone. It is important not to make a rough judgment about what constitutes "orthodoxy", but to understand the differences from different cultural perspectives in order to seek common ground while reserving differences.
Only then can Chinese culture win international recognition and rejuvenate it in globalization.
The Future of Pluto: Connecting Life and Death
Looking to the future, the cultural phenomena presented by the coins also reflect the need of contemporary society to rethink the themes of life and death, material and spiritual. It may be able to connect the worlds of the living and the dead in a whole new way.
In today's information age, most of the connections between people are based on virtual space. We communicate through mobile phones, the Internet, etc., but we also feel the distance from others.
The ritual of the underworld currency restores a more direct emotional connection - using fire and smoke to build a bridge between the living and the dead.
At the same time, when science and technology are prosperous and medical treatment is advanced, people have gained more material enjoyment, but they are also facing spiritual confusion and emptiness. The culture of the underworld opens the door to the "afterlife" and provides a kind of spiritual sustenance.
This also inspires us to pay more attention to the richness of the spiritual world while pursuing the material world.
It can be said that the underworld coin carries the empathetic and spiritual needs of contemporary society. It not only has the qualities of traditional culture, but also finds new meaning in the context of different eras.
Looking forward to the future of the Netherworld, it may exist in a richer form – not only as a paper offering, but also as an interactive ritual in a virtual space, but its core connotation remains the same.
It is to connect life and death, to perceive the connection between this world and that world, and to think about the meaning of life while remembering the deceased.