An Ling, Ji Ling, and He Lu — Spirit Tablet Ceremonies in Taiwan

The Three Stages of the Soul Tablet

In Taiwanese funeral tradition, the deceased's soul needs a physical address. From the moment of death through the 49-day bardo period and beyond, a series of tablet ceremonies — an ling, ji ling, and he lu — track the soul's transition from a newly departed spirit to a fully integrated ancestor in the family lineage.

Getting these ceremonies wrong doesn't just offend elder relatives. Folk belief holds that a soul without a properly maintained tablet wanders without rest, potentially causing illness, bad luck, or disturbing dreams among the living family members.

An Ling — Setting Up the Temporary Spirit Tablet

An ling (安靈) happens within the first day or two after death. A temporary spirit tablet — called hun bo (魂帛) or shen zhu pai — is placed on a small altar table in the home, typically in the main living area where the mourning hall is set up.

The tablet itself is traditionally a folded piece of heavy paper: blue-green for a male deceased, yellow for a female. The front is inscribed with the deceased's full name, honorary titles (if any), and exact birth and death dates. The funeral director or an attending priest usually handles the calligraphy.

Alongside the tablet, the an ling altar requires:

• A small incense burner (xiang lu) dedicated exclusively to the deceased — never the family's existing ancestral incense burner
• A lit-way lamp (jiao wei deng) that must burn continuously for the entire 49-day period (modern electric versions are acceptable)
• Daily food offerings: three bowls of rice, three dishes, tea, and fresh water
• A framed photograph of the deceased, if available

The altar stays active for 49 days. Every morning, the designated caretaker (usually the eldest son or daughter-in-law) refreshes the offerings, lights new incense, and ensures the lamp is still burning. Missing a day is considered a failure of filial duty that the departing soul will notice.

Ji Ling — When Home Care Isn't Possible

For families living in small urban apartments, working overseas, or simply unable to maintain a 49-day home altar, ji ling (寄靈) offers an alternative: the temporary spirit tablet is placed at a Buddhist temple or columbarium that provides professional daily care.

The temple monks or columbarium staff perform the daily offerings and incense duties on the family's behalf. Fees vary by temple or columbarium and by the services included, especially chanting; request an itemized quote for the full 49-day arrangement.

Ji ling is a practical solution, but it carries social weight. Traditional elders may view it as a sign that the family can't be bothered to care for their own dead. Framing matters: "We've arranged for monks to pray for mother every day at [temple name]" lands better than "We moved the tablet out of the apartment."

If ji ling is used, ask the temple or columbarium whether the family should attend any zuo qi services and what offerings, if any, it expects; participation and offering arrangements are set by the provider.

He Lu — Merging Into the Ancestral Altar

After the mourning period concludes — usually on or after the 100th-day mark, though many families schedule it at the next astrologically auspicious date — the family performs he lu (合爐), the most significant post-funeral ceremony.

He lu literally means "merging the incense burner." The ashes from the temporary spirit incense burner are mixed into the family's permanent ancestral incense burner (gong ma lu). The deceased's name and dates are inscribed on the family's permanent ancestral tablet (zu xian pai wei), and the temporary paper tablet is burned.

This ceremony marks the deceased's official transition from a wandering spirit to a recognized, settled ancestor — someone who can now receive offerings alongside the family's other forebears during Qingming, the Hungry Ghost Festival, and Lunar New Year.

A priest typically officiates, performing a brief scripture chanting and guiding the eldest son through the ash-merging procedure. The family prepares a full offering spread: the ancestor's favorite foods, rice wine, tea, fruit, and an appropriate paper money burning.

When He Lu Gets Delayed — The Ji Lu Workaround

Sometimes the astrological calendar doesn't cooperate, and a suitable date for he lu falls months or even a year after the death. In these cases, families use ji lu (寄爐) — a temporary holding arrangement for the ancestral altar.

The deceased's name and details are written on a small red paper bag filled with some of the soul censer's ashes. This bag is pinned to the side of the main ancestral incense burner: left side for a male deceased, right side for a female. The deceased can now receive daily ancestral offerings alongside the other ancestors, even though the formal merger hasn't happened yet.

Ji lu is a recognized, accepted stopgap — not a mark of neglect. But the family should still complete the full he lu ceremony at the earliest auspicious date. A permanent ji lu arrangement (never performing he lu at all) would signal that something is wrong in the family's relationship with the deceased.

Practical Advice for the 49-Day Period

Maintaining a home altar for 49 consecutive days is genuinely demanding, especially during the first week when the family is already exhausted from the funeral itself. A few things that help:

• Set a daily alarm for the morning offering refresh — it's easy to forget on the third or fourth week when the acute grief has dulled
• Buy incense in bulk from the ritual supply shop during the funeral — running out at 11 PM on day 22 is a preventable problem
• Use an electric altar lamp instead of an oil lamp for safety, especially if anyone in the household has young children
• Keep a simple offering rotation — the same three dishes every day is fine; elaborate cooking isn't expected for daily maintenance offerings

The Taiwan Funeral Planning Guide includes a 49-day altar maintenance checklist with daily, weekly, and zuo qi obligations mapped to a calendar grid, plus guidelines for when ji ling and ji lu are appropriate alternatives.