TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A photo of a paper version of a PX Mart designed to provide convenience to ancestors in the afterlife has gone viral.
During traditional festivals, religious ceremonies, and funerals, Taiwanese prepare a variety of papier-mache offerings to the deceased that reflect their material needs while living. Examples include mansions, servants, furniture, jewelry, iPhones, and cars.
The living will then typically burn these items along with gold and silver joss paper to "send" them to their ancestors. Taoists and Buddhists believe that during Ghost Month (鬼月), which this year starts on Aug. 16, the gates of hell open so that hungry ghosts can roam the world of the living in search of food, money, and entertainment.
On Tuesday (June 27), a Facebook group Streets Observation Academy member posted this photo of a PX Mart with the name "Heaven Head Office" above its entrance. The paper model comes complete with a parking lot, landscaping, benches, uniformed PX Mart employees, and a tower of gold bars piled on top of the store's roof.
The author of the post expressed admiration for the skill used to create a PX Mart for the underworld. Over the past 48 hours since the image was first uploaded, it has gained over 12,000 likes, 996 comments, and 264 shares.
TVBS reported that the location is a joss paper shop in New Taipei City's Banqiao District. A closer look at the model also reveals the Chinese name of the store has been changed from "Chuan-lian Welfare Center" (全聯福利中心) to "Year Round Welfare Center" (全年福利中心).
In addition, the logo has been changed from a shape resembling the letter "A" to the Chinese character for heaven (天).
(Facebook, Streets Observation Academy photo)