I wanted to use national currency as gifts for students in the Cultural Scavenger Hunt because they are pretty, not readily available, and often show a person, location, or event of some historical or cultural importance to that particular sovereign.  What I did not expect to find was a recruitment for a religious group on a one yuan bill in China.

At first glance I thought that the bill had a tracking number and message.  On certain American currencies there are tracking numbers with a message that states that people should give the bill to their local bank or enter the code on a website.  Basically the U.S. government is looking at bill circulation trends and longevity.  I did not really examine the message because I had no time but I kept it for further evaluation later.

Later on, I thought that the bill message was strange because I thought I saw the character for God on the bill.  I decided to ask for a translation and someone told me that it was a recruitment or advertisement for the Falun Gong Organization.

Now personally I believe that people should practice whatever religion and belief they think appeals to them with the caveat that you do not hurt others.  However, if you do something idiotic like hog tie your wife in the middle of the village and slice her stomach open while she is pregnant with twins to see the “wheel of life,” I draw the line.  (This event happened in a rural village in China from 2008-2009 but I cannot access the articles relating to the event thanks to the Great Firewall of China.  Please google for this news article on your own).  So needless to say, I am not pleased that the Falun Gong is recruiting via Chinese currency but not sure what to do with the bill either.

Should I keep the bill as a scrapbook token?  Should I turn the bill into the Bank of China so they can recycle it?  Should I spend it and send the bill back into circulation to promote freedom of speech?

Current Mood:  Everyone likes money in terms of its util value but never thought that the physical attributes and modifications of money could be so interesting.