The Hungry Ghost Festival takes place from August 22 to September 19 this year. During this time, adherents take part in traditional rituals, such as the burning of hell notes and paper offerings (also known as kimzua) to appease the dead.

Paper offerings are usually sold in old-timer shops run by the older generation. However, in a day and age where everything can be bought online, kimzua should be no exception.

To that end, websites such as Kimzua.com.sg and Po-Pi.com.sg are game-changers in a traditional industry. They capitalise on digital spaces by allowing customers to browse kimzua online, order the stuff they need, and have it delivered.

Nifty websites

Similar to most online shopping sites, these sites have user-friendly categorisations for easy browsing.

Paper offerings are sorted according to products (includes joss paper, joss sticks and paper models) or festivals (Qing Ming or Seventh Month). Under the Seventh Month category, there are different packages with different price ranges to select from.

They even have a 'best sellers' list so you can see what other people have bought:

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Wide range of offerings

Previously, the burning of paper offerings signified the impermanence of material possessions as it could not be brought into the afterlife.

However, people now burn kimzua so their ancestors can use them in the afterlife. Hence, kimzua shops often stock a wide range of products that a person might need in the netherworld.

While these websites have the usual joss paper and hell notes, they also stock a wide range of paper offerings to ensure that your ancestors are well taken care of.

Here are some cool stuff we found:

For the health conscious, they have massage chairs and treadmills.

Everyday items that we take for granted (such as medicines, ointment and shavers) are also available.

For those who experience wanderlust and want to get away for a short trip, they even offer passports and airline tickets.

While most businesses in the kimzua industry still operate out of physical stores, it remains to be seen how traditional festivals and rituals will evolve with the online space.

Top photo by Godong via Getty Images.

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