Hell Bank Note - The Name "hell"

The Name "hell"

The word hell on hell bank notes refers to Diyu (simplified Chinese: 地狱; traditional Chinese: 地獄; pinyin: dìyù, meaning "underworld prison"), which is also called dìfǔ (Chinese: 地府; meaning "underworld court"). These words are printed on some notes. In traditional Chinese beliefs, it is thought to be where the souls of the dead are first judged by the Lord of the Earthly Court (Yan Wang). After being judged they are either escorted to heaven or sent into the maze of underground levels and chambers to atone for their sins. People believe that even in the earthy court, spirits need to use money.

A story says that the word hell was introduced to China by Christian missionaries, who preached that all non-Christian Chinese people would "go to hell" when they died, and through a case of misinterpretation, it was believed that the word "Hell" was the proper English term for the afterlife, and hence the word was adopted. However, some printed notes omit the word "hell" and sometimes will replace it with "heaven" or "paradise". These particular bills are usually found in joss packs meant to be burned for Chinese deities. They usually have the same design as hell bank notes but with different colors.