From the Jade Emperor to Queen Elizabeth: What Is the Localization Code of Joss Paper?
03 Dec 2025
At the sorting station of a Guangzhou cross-border warehouse, operator A Ming is sorting and packing different versions of joss paper: those printed with "Bliss Bank" are sent to South Korea, those with Queen Elizabeth's portrait to Europe, and those featuring the Statue of Liberty holding a torch to the United States. Most eye-catching is a stack of customized versions for Southeast Asia, with lotus patterns surrounding the seal of "Mingtong Bank" and Thai blessing words attached. "There are even three segmented versions just for Europe: the British love the Queen's portrait, Germans prefer Black Forest totems, and the French want the Eiffel Tower printed on them," A Ming's words reveal the core logic of joss paper going global—localization is the code that allows longing to cross national borders.
The "Bliss Bank" version for the South Korean market was the pioneering work of localized design. In 2019, the team received numerous complaints from Chinese expats in South Korea: "Elders say 'they won't recognize this kind of currency over there' about traditional joss paper printed with the Jade Emperor." Research revealed that the concept of "Blissful World" is more recognized in South Korean worship culture, while the "Jade Emperor" totem instead caused cultural barriers. The design team immediately adjusted: changing the issuer to "Bliss Bank," familiar to South Korean believers, replacing traditional cloud patterns with Jeju Island volcanic rock and hibiscus patterns, and printing the Korean phrase "Return in Peace" on the edge. Three months after its launch, South Korean orders surged threefold. Ms. Kim, a Chinese expat in Seoul, reported: "When I burned it for my mother-in-law, my Korean relatives said 'this money looks familiar, mother-in-law must recognize it'."
The design for the European market hides more delicate cultural considerations. The Queen Elizabeth portrait version has remained a bestseller for years, thanks to an accidental user feedback. Mr. Lin, a Chinese expat in London, said: "My grandfather was a British-Chinese who always said he was 'half afternoon tea, half kung fu tea'—he might not 'recognize' traditional joss paper." The team then collaborated with local cultural scholars on the design: the front features a profile of the Queen wearing a crown, with a night view of the River Thames in the background; the back retains the vermilion seal of "Mingtong Bank," but replaces traditional gold ingot patterns with a combination of pound symbols and rose patterns. This version even moved non-Chinese users. British housewife Sarah shared on social media: "After my husband's Chinese grandmother passed away, we used this joss paper for worship. My child pointed at the Queen and said 'great-grandma can use familiar money over there too'."
The Statue of Liberty version for the U.S. market accurately grasps the core of "immigrant culture." The design team found that most Chinese expats in the U.S. are new immigrants who cherish Eastern traditions while having a strong identification with the culture of their host country. Therefore, the front of the joss paper features the Statue of Liberty, with Chinese-style auspicious clouds subtly integrated into the torch; the back prints landmarks such as "New York Chinatown" and "San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge," with a blank space below for writing the family's immigration year. The experience of Xiao Wang, an international student in Los Angeles, is representative: "When I burned it for my grandfather, I specially circled the San Francisco landmark where he landed in 1980. My mother said 'grandfather will definitely know we've rooted here'."
Respect for different cultural circles has extended localized design to finer details. In Christian-dominated European and American regions, all Eastern religious totems are removed from joss paper, replaced with universal patterns such as "Guardian Angel" and "Star Guidance"; a Buddhism-exclusive version is launched for Southeast Asia, with lotus patterns enclosing blessings in both Sanskrit and Chinese; for Canadian Indigenous groups, the team even collaborated with tribal elders to design a customized version printed with totem poles and eagle feather patterns, and the worship guide also includes illustrations of traditional tribal blessing gestures. "An Indigenous Chinese person said this was the first time ancestors received 'two kinds of hometown gifts' at the same time," design director Sister Chen said, flipping through user feedback with pride in her eyes.
These seemingly simple design adjustments are backed by countless cultural researches and refinements. For the "Bliss Bank" name of the South Korean version, the team repeatedly demonstrated with religious scholars in Seoul; the proportion of the Queen's portrait in the European version was revised 17 times to meet local aesthetics; for the landmark selection in the U.S. version, more than 2,000 questionnaires from Chinese immigrants were collected. "Localization is not simply changing patterns, but letting loved ones in the other world smell the scent of hometown too," Sister Chen's words reveal the core code.
The packing sound in the warehouse continues as A Ming loads the last box of customized versions printed with Maori totems onto the truck. From the Jade Emperor to Queen Elizabeth, from lotus patterns to the Statue of Liberty, the flowing patterns on these joss papers never hide commercial tricks, but respect for every cross-border longing. When joss paper printed with local cultural symbols is lit, the flickering flame carries the tenderness of making longing "adapt to local customs"—no matter where we are, the most sincere concern always bears the appearance of hometown.
Interactive Topic: If you designed a "localized spirit money" for a foreign friend, what symbol would you choose? A local landmark, cultural totem, or a dialect blessing? Share below
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