Hanoians burn votive paper all over the sidewalks, Western visitors find it strange

One day before the full moon of the seventh lunar month, many families and businesses in Hanoi's Old Quarter set up offerings on the sidewalk, then burn votive paper and sprinkle rice and salt to pray for good luck and avoid bad luck.

Người Hà Nội đốt vàng mã khắp vỉa hè, khách Tây thấy lạ mắt

One day before the full moon of the seventh lunar month, people in Hanoi's Old Quarter set up offerings to the gods on the sidewalk. The simple offerings include clothes, rice, salt, fruit, snacks, popcorn, and cakes... According to these merchants, in addition to making offerings at home, they also make offerings at their stores to express their respect and hope for a good year.

Image at a business located on Hang Ngang Street. The owner said that the offering tray and votive offerings were prepared the previous afternoon. Families choose to make offerings early because they believe that by the afternoon of July 15 (lunar calendar), the gates of hell will close and all the spirits will have returned.

Anna (tourist) said: "I walked from Dong Xuan market to here, about 1km and saw about ten families burning paper money. I guess this is an important day in Vietnamese culture, it feels quite strange".

Mr. Ha Manh Long (Ta Hien Street) sits in front of his house to burn votive paper after completing the worship. Mr. Long said that his family has a habit of worshiping early on this occasion every year to avoid the rush.

Right next door, Mr. Long's neighbor had just returned from the market to prepare the offerings for this afternoon.

To avoid smoke affecting passersby, many families carefully peel off the bundles of hell money before burning them.

After the burning of votive paper, rice wine is poured over the ashes. Rice and salt are sprinkled on the street to treat all living beings and ward off bad luck.

A family on Hang Bong Street invested 600,000 VND to buy a broken washing machine drum to burn votive paper. The female homeowner said that doing so would prevent smoke, the offerings would burn quickly, and the ashes would not be blown onto the street by the wind.