Economics
China Has a Problem With Fake Money: It Looks Too Real to Burn
Photographer: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
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China’s central bank had an odd warning on Thursday: Please don’t burn fake yuan notes.
On Friday, millions of Chinese will celebrate Qingming Festival, the tomb-sweeping holiday, holding memorials for deceased relatives. Part of the tradition involves burning fake money and paper models of goods in the belief that one’s ancestors will get to enjoy the real things in the afterlife. The imitation offerings span every conceivable luxury, from expensive cars to intricately designed mansions.