A shopkeeper burns spirit money in a large burner in front of a clothing store in Taipei. The store purchases 300 NTD (US$9) worth of spirit money twice a month to worship the earth god and wealth gods.
At only a few NTD per stack of poor-quality paper, 300 NTD (US$9) can buy a couple large plastic bags full of votive currency.
When asked about the impact on the environment, climate change and public health, she eschewed the question, claiming the amount to be too tiny.
“It’s not like chopsticks, straws or bags,” she said, naming disposable items that were restricted by the government in 2018 and are due to be banned by 2030. “Those should be prohibited to protect the environment, but this is nothing.”