Part of honoring the dead is to make sure that they are well-provided for -- even after death. Not only are food offered to the dead, but also, as some people figure, material goods are needed in the land of the dead. Until the Sui Dynasty (581-618), genuine articles were burnt as offerings. Eventually, people thought this practice was wasteful. It was also said that there was word from the dead that where they resided, counterfeits were just as good as the real thing. So a paper house offered by fire was just as good as a real one.

Nowadays, paper gifts to the dead may even include paper money, houses, lawn furniture, TVs, VCRs, stereo systems, refrigerators, and even cars.