Song zhi li, the paper gift
Money sent by relatives and friends towards a funeral, in odd amounts; the bereaved family returns a small red cord, and the giver neither sits nor eats.
Pronunciation sòng zhǐ lǐ｜Rites of life｜One entry in the Chaoshan glossary
What it means
When word of a death goes round, relatives and friends send money towards the funeral. It is called song zhi li, the paper gift, and also fu yi. The sum is odd, never even; the money goes in a plain envelope with the sender’s name written on it.
The family receives it and gives back a short red cord, called zha cai, which the visitor ties to a button or takes home. Whoever brings the paper gift does not sit at a table or stay to eat: he sets it down and goes, and the family does not press him.
When you see it
Between the announcement of the death and the funeral; on the day of the funeral a table is set at the side of the hall to receive the gifts, with someone keeping the register, so that the family can return the favour later by name.
Words easily confused
This and a gift at a wedding are two different sets: one odd-numbered, returning a red cord, no meal; the other even-numbered, returning wedding sweets, with the guest expected to stay and eat. The cord is red, but it comes from a house in mourning and is not read as a wedding colour.
Custom in Chaoshan funerals; this page describes only, and neither endorses superstition nor urges anyone to follow it.
Read next: Funeral custom: from reporting the death to the raising of the tablet.
See also: Rites of life: the five thresholds side by side.
Same group: reporting to the earth god, assuming mourning dress.
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Last revised: 4 November 2026