These S’poreans are revolutionising prayer items, from eco-friendly hell notes to joss sticks

While Singapore’s annual National Day celebrations are ongoing, there is another festival that is celebrated: the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Colloquially known as “Ghost Month,” the traditional Chinese festival falls on the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. During this period, the Chinese worship their ancestors and make offerings to the wandering souls that are let out when the Gates of Hell open.

As many families are looking to purchase their offerings, some are not a big fan of the smoke and flying pieces of ash, not only because of the smell but also the harmful effects it brings to the atmosphere and our bodies, which has become a hot topic among Singaporeans online.

As the third-generation owner of Ban Kah Hiang Trading, one of Singapore’s oldest joss paper shops, Alex Teo aims to fill a gap for eco-friendly alternatives to traditional prayer products. With a shared vision and over S$100,000 in start-up capital, Alex started Base Genesis with his best friend, Chris Huang, in 2023.

Becoming best friends and eventual business partners

Growing up in a family deeply rooted in the cultural and religious goods industry, Alex, now 36 years old, took over the family business back in 2016 when he was only 28 years old.

In his previous interview with Vulcan Post, he expressed his passion for preserving and modernising century-old traditions, which spurred him to create out-of-the-box paper effigies, including durian and tech gadgets.

Chris, on the other hand, hailed from a background in retail marketing—he managed notable festivals and conferences, including the first ASEAN Film Week that was held in Xi’an, China.

The duo first got to know each other in their 20s and often exchanged business ideas. It wasn’t until after the COVID-19 pandemic that Alex invited Chris to join him in growing his gim zua business.

Despite their friendship, Chris shared in an interview with Vulcan Post that he wasn’t too keen on the idea at first. “Initially, I was quite reluctant,” he candidly shared.

I was concerned about the challenges of modernising a traditional family business and whether we could effectively integrate innovation while preserving its cultural values. Additionally, the responsibility of stepping into a family business with such a rich history felt daunting.

However, Chris’s perspective changed after he attended an annual Hungry Ghost Festival celebration organised by a temple, which he described as a “profound experience”.

“Seeing the passion and dedication put into preserving these cultural practices firsthand inspired me. I realised the potential impact we could have by modernising and expanding the business while still honouring its heritage,” explained Chris.

Is it a gimmick?

Despite their drive, both Chris and Alex experienced many trials and tribulations while creating their eco-friendly prayer products, with material sourcing being the biggest hurdle.

Alex shared that he and the team conducted extensive research and went through numerous product iterations to ensure that the materials used were sustainable, safe, and met their design standards. From initial design to testing, the team documented the process through videos to refine their prototypes.

The company has since introduced its eco-friendly alternatives, from joss sticks to joss paper to candles. These products resonated well with their clientele, allowing them to achieve a 15 per cent increase in product orders compared to the previous year.

In addition, Base Genesis has collaborated with creative agency MullenLowe to create the eco-hell note, which is marketed as a sustainable alternative to a traditional hell note. It has the highest denominations of yi ji (一级)—that’s 48 zeros!

The company first experimented with materials, including rice paper, recycled paper, and plant-based fibres, to test their burning properties and the amount of smoke and residual ash they produced. After numerous trials, they found that nitrocellulose paper worked the best, as it produced less smoke and ash.

However, the concept of the eco-hell note was also scrutinised by traditionalists, who argued that it might diminish its spiritual significance and not hold the same cultural value as traditional products.

Alex shared that the company conducted a small ritual in the temple to gain “permission” and approval for the eco-hell note’s production, and closely worked with cultural experts during the research & development (R&D) stage to ensure that it was both safe and respectful of cultural traditions.

“We ensure that the eco-hell note maintains all the symbolic elements of traditional hell notes, only with a more environmentally friendly approach,” he added.

Another common misconception that some customers had was that environmentally friendly products are more expensive. Although there is a price difference between their eco-friendly offerings and traditional products, it only costs about S$1-S$2 more.

Chris added that the company strives to keep its prices competitive and focuses on educating its customers on the long-term benefits of sustainable practices for the environment and future generations.

He also clarified that Base Genesis currently sells both traditional and eco-friendly prayer offerings and will introduce more sustainable products in the future. The brand’s consistent innovation has paid off, as sales have steadily risen to 25 per cent since its inception.

“We believe that by continuously enhancing our product pipeline and introducing new, eco-friendly products, we can lead the market in promoting sustainable practices and contribute positively to the environment,” said Chris.

Getting the word out

Base Genesis conducted a soft launch of their eco-hell note earlier this March, which coincided with the yearly Qing Ming festival in April. As of now, the company is planning to officially launch and sell the product by 2025’s Hungry Ghost Festival.

Chris added that he and Alex are conducting a series of prototype tests and exploring alternative materials to reduce the product’s potential selling price while improving its overall quality and texture.

The company also actively collaborates with homegrown media personalities to increase brand awareness, including live-streamers Joe Chen and Qiao Er, as well as Ah Girls Go Army actress Yang Guang Ke Le.

Looking forward, Chris shared that the company will launch an educational guide for its products on its website and provide tips through its blog posts after the Hungry Ghost Festival. They are also working to document their ideation confidentially, patent, and trademark all works.

The pair also envisions that the company will complete their Series A or B funding rounds within the next five years, and become EBITDA positive year over year. They also expressed their ambition to explore digital customer solutions, such as augmented reality guides for ritual practices.

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Featured Image Credit: Base Genesis