History sign in the Baker City Chinese Cemetery.
Marker Name: 18 Chinese Shrine 90
Marker Text: This Chinese prayer house was used to honor the departing spirits by burning incense and prayer papers. The prayer papers were brown paper with some million little pinholes & pushed through the alter window. In traditional Chinese religion the many holes are believed to deter evel spirits who must pass through all the holes. Be the time they have done so the deceased spirit safely escapes to the after life avoiding being a wandering spirit. Each spring Chinese visited the shrine during Ching Ming Festival to burn incense & put food offerings on the graveas. A wandering spirit let undesirable things happen. The festival date is determined by the Lunar calender & usually occurs during the first of April. Marjorie Fong of Baker City furnished this Chinese History.
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