Gold for the Gods

Zhonggang, a former commercial harbour in Miaoli County once suffering from sedimentation and decline, thrived again with its joss paper (ghost money) industry. Almost every family was part of it: Different generations worked together, attaching gold foils and stamping the paper in red ink, before sending it to dry. When massive stacks of golden joss paper basked in the sun, the town seemed to be covered in dreamy golden waves.