Hong Kong families burn macarons to honour the dead

High-end French-style macarons are the latest big thing in Hong Kong cake shops and now paper versions of the delicate confectionery are winging their way into the furnace too. Families traditionally burn likenesses of everything their deceased loved ones could ever want in the hereafter at graveside furnaces - from false teeth, razors and shirts to chauffeur-driven cars, yachts, mansions and wads of fake cash.

This is where the parents of my grandfather are, and we come here to pay our respects once a year because during Ching Ming festival, they will come to receive things. We believe they will be able to use these items in another world

Hong Kong resident Agnes Poon

The ancient annual tradition sees thousands of people clamber up the city’s hills, despite the hot and humid conditions, to burn incense and sweep relatives’ graves in the run-up to the Ching Ming festival, which falls on Sunday.

There are customers…who are specially requesting this product (macarons) because relatives who passed away had enjoyed eating them.

Ng Shuk-fong, who runs an offering shop in central Sai Ying Pun

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