Fang she, the reading of the pardon
In the middle of merit-making a pardon is read out for the sins of the dead and then burnt; a man dressed as a mounted messenger runs round the altar with it.
Pronunciation fàng shè｜Rites of life｜One entry in the Chaoshan glossary
What it means
Halfway through merit-making comes fang she: the pardon is read aloud, remitting the faults the dead committed in life. It is written on yellow paper; the master of the altar reads a line, the mourners answer a line, and when it is finished it is burnt in front of everyone.
Then comes zou she ma, the running of the pardon horse. A man dressed as a mounted courier runs round the altar at speed, carries the pardon to the burning place and sets it alight, the mourners running after him. It is the liveliest passage of the whole service and draws the biggest crowd of onlookers.
When you see it
After the crossing of the bridge and before the carrying of the scriptures, usually at night. In a single-night service the pardon and the bridge are often done back to back.
Words easily confused
The pardon and the bridge follow hard on each other but do two things: the bridge sends the soul across, the pardon wipes out the offence. Nor is it the seventh-month feeding of the homeless dead — there food is scattered for those with no one to sacrifice to them; here only the family’s own dead is pardoned.
Custom in Chaoshan funerals; this page describes only, and neither endorses superstition nor urges anyone to follow it.
Read next: Funeral custom: from merit-making to the coffin leaving.
See also: Rites of life: the five thresholds side by side.
Same group: carrying the scriptures, striking the sand, crossing the bridge.
Home › Glossary › Rites of life › The reading of the pardon
Text on this site is CC BY-SA 4.0; copyright in images is reserved and commercial use requires a separate licence.
Last revised: 3 November 2026