Paper money - Shisen

Paper cut into the shape of a coin or with a coin shape pressed on it. In China, it is offered or burned at festivals. As part of the New Year's Day ritual, after the kowtow ceremony, a ceremony called "burning coins and food" is performed, in which yellow coins made of yellow paper with a coin shape pressed on them, yuanpo paper made in the shape of a silver horseshoe, and thousand paper strips (similar to meishi paper) are burned. In some places, paper coins are offered and burned along with yellow coins (yellow paper) when worshiping heaven and earth. When opening the gates early in the morning on New Year's Day, incense is always burned, paper coins are burned, and firecrackers are set off. When worshiping ancestors at the family temple on New Year's Day, a bag containing paper coins is burned. Red paper bags are used to welcome ancestors during the New Year, while white or yellow paper bags are used for funerals and memorial services. Yellow paper with the shape of an ancestral tablet printed on it, or gold and silver paper coins of various colors, and yellow paper are placed inside and burned. In various parts of southern China, there is a custom of cutting yellow or white paper into the shape of coins and hanging them on the branches of oak trees on New Year's Day. Yellow paper represents gold, and white paper represents silver ryo, and these are said to be gifts to demons in the afterlife.

Meisen are paper printed or cut into the shape of coins, and are burned in front of the Buddha or grave to pray for the deceased to be happy and prosperous in the afterlife. Paper coins are also scattered during funeral processions. Paper coins are also burned when someone wants a child, to pray for a safe birth, or on other occasions. In Japan, the equivalent of meisen is called Rokudosen, and is sometimes given to the deceased when they are placed in the coffin.

[Shoji Inoguchi]

"Reprint of 'Chinese Folklore' by Nagao Ryuzo (1973, Kokusho Kankokai)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

銭形に切り、または銭形を押した紙。中国で祭りのときなどに供えたり焼いたりする。元旦(がんたん)の儀礼として、叩頭(こうとう)の礼のあと焚銭粮(フェンチエンリャン)といって、黄色の紙に銭形を押した黄銭、馬蹄(ばてい)銀の形につくった元宝、千張紙（冥紙(めいし)と同類）などを焚(た)く。祀天地(してんち)（天地を拝む）のとき、黄銭（黄紙）などとともに紙銭を供えて焼く所もある。元旦の朝早く門を開くときも、かならず焼香をして紙銭を焚き爆竹を鳴らす。元旦に家廟(かびょう)で祖先に礼拝するとき、紙銭を包んだ袋を焚く。正月の祖霊迎えには赤い紙の袋、葬式や法事のときは白または黄紙でつくり、その中に位牌(いはい)形を印刷した黄紙や、冥銭(めいせん)としての金銀など各色の紙銭と黄紙とを入れて焼く。華南の各地では、黄紙や白紙を銭形に切って、元旦にカシワの木の枝に吊(つ)るす習慣がある。黄紙は黄金を、白紙は銀両を表し、これをあの世の鬼への贈り物にするという。

　冥銭は紙に銭の形を印刷したり銭の形に切ったりしたもので、死者があの世で幸福を受け、裕福に暮らせるようにと、仏前や墓前で焼くもの。葬列で紙銭をまくこともある。子供が欲しいとき、安産祈願その他の機会にも紙銭を焼くことがある。日本では冥銭にあたるものを六道銭とよび、入棺のときに死者にもたせることがある。

［井之口章次］

『永尾龍造著『支那民俗誌』復刻版（1973・国書刊行会）』

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