Every Ghost Festival, millions across East Asia ignite paper offerings for ancestors. This intimate tradition clashes with modern urban demands through smoke and fire hazards. Enter the Peace Urn—a solution blending respect for customs with urban safety.
A team of design students—Hao Qian, Xiyue Yang, Zetong Song, Chenchen Du, and Yichen Fan—crafted this clay vessel specifically for dense urban environments. Honored in a 2026 design awards program, the Peace Urn is as thoughtful as it is practical.
The design protects, not replaces, the ritual. Joss paper burning is a profound act of remembering loved ones, symbolizing offerings to the afterlife. The urn does this by ingeniously managing airflow within its structure, controlling ash and smoke while preserving the visible flames critical to the ritual’s essence.
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Visual authenticity matters. Openings in the urn allow flames to flicker through, maintaining the ritual’s emotional core. Functionality never overshadows symbolism here—the urn respects the feelings tied to each transformed piece of paper.
Made from unglazed, heat-resistant clay, the urn accumulates soot and marks over time, resonating with cultural familiarity and stability. The urn’s role is part of a proposal to shift the tradition to designated public spaces, making joss paper offerings a structured, supported civic practice rather than just a private act.
The urn’s circular shape draws from traditional rituals where a circle marks sacred space, pointing toward spiritual connection. This intentional design elevates the object from mere utility to a meaningful cultural artifact.
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The Peace Urn aims to be where it’s needed, retaining its practicality during each Ghost Festival. It’s not about timeless beauty; it’s about being meaningful and functional at essential moments.
Source: yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
What problem does the Peace Urn solve?
The Peace Urn addresses the clash between traditional paper burning rituals during East Asia’s Ghost Festival and modern urban safety concerns, particularly smoke and fire hazards.
Who designed the Peace Urn?
The Peace Urn was designed by a team of design students: Hao Qian, Xiyue Yang, Zetong Song, Chenchen Du, and Yichen Fan.
How does the Peace Urn maintain the ritual’s essence?
The urn manages airflow to control ash and smoke while preserving the visible flames, which are critical to maintaining the emotional core of the joss paper burning ritual.