Home
Mobiles
Mobiles News
Chinese buy paper iPads, iPhones for ancestor worship

Chinese buy paper iPads, iPhones for ancestor worship

By Agence-France Presse | Updated: 5 June 2012 16:04 IST

Highlights

Paper replicas of the iPad and iPhone are selling like hot cakes in China this year as millions prepare to honour their ancestors.

Paper replicas of Apple's iPad and iPhone are selling like hot cakes in China this year as millions prepare to honour their ancestors in an age-old annual festival that has taken on a modern twist.

Tomb Sweeping Day, which falls on April 4 this year, sees families remember their ancestors by laying out food at their grave sites and burning paper replicas of daily necessities such as clothes, money, cars and houses.

The tradition - which dates back thousands of years - dictates that the paper goods can be used by their ancestors in the afterlife, and the offerings have evolved to fit in with modern life.

As such, paper replicas of iPhones and iPads - which are hugely popular in China - have become all the rage.

"The paper iPhones and iPads sold are the same size as the real ones with a whole complete package of components like headphones," an online retailer known by his surname, Tang, told AFP.

"I have run this online shop for four years, and started to sell paper iPhones and iPads two years ago.

"These... are quite popular. Many people ask about them especially when Tomb Sweeping Day is approaching."

Another online retailer, who did not want to be named, said there has been an increase in orders for iPhone paper replicas ahead of the festival next week.

Retailers said a paper iPad sells for 538 yuan ($85) including delivery while an iPhone version costs around 22 yuan.

Apple products are extremely popular in China where people queue for hours to get their hands on the latest devices.

Tomb Sweeping day - or Qing Ming - is also widely celebrated by ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia, where most of them consider it an important occasion to pay respect to their ancestors.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: apple, ipad, iphone, tomb sweeping day

Chinese buy paper iPads, iPhones for ancestor worship

Related Stories