The tradition of burning paper money / houses / cars / iphones / laptops / passports you name it, is a very long standing one all throughout Asia. To put it simply, these gifts (hang ma as they are generally known) are burnt to send them to the heavens where they can be used by the ancestors of those who burn them. However, we now know that there is a price to pay for burning these offerings and that is the pollutants that they pour into the environment.
Spirit money, Ghost money, Hell money whatever you want to call it is burnt on the 1st and the 15th day of every month in the lunar calendar. This is seen as a regular ‘top up’ to the deceased celestial bank account. On top of this, more money and other items are burnt at funerals and death days with a particular emphasis on the 1st and 3rd anniversary.
Another significant time for burning paper money is Lunar New Year (Tet) as people wish to have happy ancestors, good luck and no evil spirits around them at this time of year.
It is believed that the deceased ancestors are still interested in the affairs of our earthly existence and can have an influence on this. Therefore, in order to make their lives comfortable the items deemed necessary for a happy life, hence iPhones, laptops as well as money nowadays, are burnt. The more that is burnt the better their lives will be.
Most people will make these offerings on special occasions such as death day anniversaries and very much so at Tet, Lunar New Year (check out our guide here).
It is easy to find these items for sale, especially if you go to Hang Ma St, named after the very item sold there as with many other streets in the old quarter. The most commonly used item is stacks of fake 100$ bills and this is burn to help the deceased pay back any debts they accrued in life. Generally, people believe that the more that is burnt the more luck they will potentially benefit from in this life.
Some also believe that when deceased one will face a celestial court and the more money one has to pay any debts or fines the lighter the punishment or the happier the after-life will be.
Also, at Tet, this burning paper money can be used to deter unwanted spirits or bad luck so that the New Year starts in a happy and lucky way. This is significant because as with the tradition of first footing, what happens at the beginning of the year will set a precedent for the course of the year ahead.
There are many reasons why people burn this money but these are the most common understandings of the tradition.
There is an old tale telling of a man named Cai Lun in China, who sold paper for a living. Due to the fact that most people at that time were illiterate, paper was not a sought after commodity and it was a tough busines to be in. So, Cai Lun came up with the cunning plan of faking his own death and then having his wife arrange an elaborate funeral for him.
At this funeral, she burnt paper offerings and as she did so, Cai Lun’s coffin opened up and he exited, very much alive. His wife exclaimed that the paper had been transformed into money as payment to the God of Death and this had been sufficient to release Cai Lun. Everyone around her was convinced and they too began burning paper money. Naturally, this greatly helped to increase sales of paper.
This small scale burning of paper money, when combined, can add up to a considerable amount of pollution. This is very much the case at Tet when hundreds of thousands of people are burning offerings. It is not so much the the CO2 that is released but more the harmful substances used in the production of the paper. There are all manner of carcinogenic compounds used and many people will also burn the plastic that is used to wrap certain items.
All in all, a bunch of nasty stuff is thrown out into the atmosphere during this burning and it doesn’t seem to be a wise choice to be too close by. Whether or not anything will be done about this, only time will tell. But, the tradition is very firmly entrenched so it seems like it will remain for quite some time.
Tax Code: 0105306316
International Tour Operator License: 01-2010/2022/TCDL-GP LHQT
15a Ng. 12 Đ. Đặng Thai Mai, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
© 2025 Rentabike Vietnam. This site is subject to copyright. No unauthorised reproduction is permitted.
Engine Type
air-liquid cooled, twin cylinder, DOHC, boxer engine
Displacement
1255 cc
Bore X Stroke
102.5 mm x 76 mm
Ignition
FI
Fuel System
fuel injection
Compression Ratio
12.5:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
6-speed
Front Suspension
BMW Motorrad Telelever; stanchion diameter 37 mm
Rear Suspension
single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever
Front Brakes
dual disc brake, floating brake discs, diameter 305 mm, 4-piston radial calipers
Rear Brakes
single disc brake, diameter 276 mm, double-piston floating caliper
Front Tyres
120/70 R19
Rear Tyres
170/60 R17
Wheelbase
1514 mm
Seat Height
850 mm
Ground Clearance
790 mm
Kerb Weight
249 kg
Fuel Capacity
20 litres
Dimensions
2207 mm (L) x 952.5mm (W) x 1430 mm (H)
Engine Type
air cooled, OHC, single cylinder
Displacement
149 cc
Bore X Stroke
57.3 mm x 57.8 mm
Ignition
CDI
Fuel System
20 mm piston valve carburettor
Compression Ratio
9.5:1
Starter
electric with kick starter backup
Gearbox
5-speed
Front Suspension
telescopic fork, 180 mm axle travel
Rear Suspension
single shock swing arm, 150 mm axle travel
Front Brakes
dual piston caliper, 240 mm disc
Rear Brakes
mechanical drum
Front Tyres
90/90 19
Rear Tyres
110/90 17
Wheelbase
1362 mm
Seat Height
825 mm
Ground Clearance
243 mm
Kerb Weight
129 kg
Fuel Capacity
12 litres
Dimensions
2091 mm (L) x 811 mm (W) x 1125 mm (H)
Engine Type
liquid cooled parallel-twin four stroke
Displacement
470 cc
Bore X Stroke
67 mm x 66.8 mm
Ignition
PGMI – FI
Fuel System
fuel injection
Compression Ratio
10.7:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
6-speed
Front Suspension
41 mm SFF-BP USD Forks
Rear Suspension
Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster
Front Brakes
dual 296 mm discs with 4 piston calipers; ABS
Rear Brakes
240 mm disc; ABS
Front Tyres
110/80R19M/C (59H)
Rear Tyres
160/60R17M/C
Wheelbase
1445 mm
Seat Height
830 mm
Ground Clearance
180 mm
Kerb Weight
199 kg
Fuel Capacity
17.7 litres
Dimensions
2,155 mm (L) x 830 mm (W) x 1,410 mm (H)
Engine Type
single cylinder, DOHC, liquid cooled
Displacement
286 cc
Bore X Stroke
76 mm x 63 mm
Ignition
Full Transistor Digital
Fuel System
PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Compression Ratio
10.7:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
5-speed
Front Suspension
43 mm telescopic upside down
Rear Suspension
Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster
Front Brakes
Rear Brakes
220 mm disc, single piston caliper
Front Tyres
80/100 21
Rear Tyres
120/80 18
Wheelbase
1455 mm
Seat Height
880 mm
Ground Clearance
285 mm
Kerb Weight
142 kg
Fuel Capacity
7.8 litres
Dimensions
2230 mm (L) x 820 mm (W) x 1200 mm (H)