Laptops, mansions and helicopters: The weirdest paper offerings Chinese people burn for the deceased to ensure them a happy afterlife
Chinese people have the tradition of burning paper items for dead relatives
The practice is often seen on the annual Tomb-sweeping Day in early April
On the day millions in the country visit graves of ancestors to pay respects
Offerings have become increasingly extravagant including latest gadgets
By QIN XIE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 05:14 EST, 1 April 2016 | UPDATED: 05:25 EST, 1 April 2016
Once a year in April, China's cemeteries are more densely populated with the living than the dead.
Millions of people of Chinese descent visit the graves of their ancestors to burn paper money as an offering as part of the annual Qingming Festival, or Tomb-sweeping Day, which takes place on April 4 this year.
But while the tradition is some 2,500 years old, the somber celebration has become an increasingly lucrative business, according to People's Daily Online.
Modern: The 2,500-year-old tradition of burning offerings for Qingming Festival has been updated with new items like cardboard Apple products (as above)
Extravagant: There are increasingly outrageous offerings including helicopters (above) and luxury cars
Necessities: Some of the most popular items for burning is paper money but it's also easy to track down cardboard homes and plastic servants
There's a folk belief in China that if you burn paper money and make offerings at the graves of your ancestors, they will receive them in the afterlife and put them to use.
In days gone by, the offering might have been seen as a way to appease ghosts but it was also a way for people to continue their filial duties into the afterlife.
The graves are cleaned before candles and incense are lit.
Paper money is burnt and fresh fruits and flowers are offered.
Often, messages to the deceased are also spoken out loud.
In recent years however, the offerings have become increasingly flashy.
High tech: Fake Apple products, like the MacBook above, are also popular. Some are made to size as welll
Details: Inside, the laptop has everything you might need, including printed keyboard and screen (above)
Leisure: Mah Jong, a popular game in China, is one of the items for sale. You can even build one yourself
On Chinese online shops such as Taobao, China's equivalent to Ebay, it's possible to buy everything from stacks of paper money for less than one Yuan (10p) to extravagant paper palaces that cost up to 2,000 Yuan (£200).
The paper offerings have become increasingly elaborate as well.
To keep up with the times, there's a plethora of gadgets for sale, including cameras, laptops and ipads.
According to an 2014 report by People's Daily Online, the cardboard version of the iPhone 5S was one of the most popular items for offering that year.
For leisure, there's bicycles, mah jong tables, and massage chairs. These could go alongside the household appliances and kitchen equipment.
Those luxury inclined can buy villas, cars and even helicopters.
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