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| Meta Title | What Is Hungry Ghost Festival and Why Is It Celebrated? | by Yow Hong Chieh | Medium |
| Meta Description | What Is Hungry Ghost Festival and Why Is It Celebrated? Welcome, good siblings. The Hungry Ghost Festival is a Chinese festival honouring the dead that is deeply rooted in filial piety and ancestor … |
| Meta Canonical | null |
| Boilerpipe Text | The Hungry Ghost Festival is a Chinese festival honouring the dead that is deeply rooted in filial piety and ancestor veneration.
A synthesis of two traditions — the Buddhist Yulanpen Festival and Taoism’s Zhongyuan Festival — it is observed in China and by the Chinese diaspora, especially in Southeast Asia.
The festival takes place on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month, known as Hungry Ghost Month. This 29 or 30-day period is when the gates of hell open and the dead visit the living.
Karmic returns
Press enter or click to view image in full size
Hungry Ghost Festival is a synthesis of Buddhist and Taoist traditions. Image:
Adobe Stock
For Buddhists, the festival was inspired by the
Ullambana Sutra
, a Buddhist text known in Chinese as the Yulanpen Sutra.
The sutra centres around Maudgalyayana, a close disciple of the Buddha. Upon attaining
abhijna
(higher knowledge), he used his third eye to search for his deceased parents, only to discover that his mother was now in hell.
Reborn as a
preta
or hungry ghost, she was cursed to suffer from a terrible, insatiable hunger and thirst — karmic retribution for her sins when she was alive.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
Maudgalyayana encounters his hungry ghost mother, from the 12th century Gaki Zoshi (Scroll of the Hungry Ghosts), a National Treasure of Japan. Image:
Wikimedia Commons
Seeing his mother in this pitiful condition, Maudgalyayana tried to offer her a bowl of rice but its contents turned into burning hot coals when she touched it.
Distraught, Maudgalyayana went to the Buddha to ask if there was any way to help his mother.
The Buddha told his disciple that, because his mother’s sins were deeply rooted, it would take the combined spiritual power of the Sangha — the collective term for Buddhist monks and nuns — for liberation to be obtained.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
Maudgalyayana and his fellow disciple Sariputra are often depicted flanking the Buddha, as in this 19th century Thai painting. Image:
The Walters Art Museum
Maudgalyayana was then asked to prepare an offering of food and fruits, as well as incense, oil, lamps, candles, beds and bedding on the 15th day of the seventh month for the Sangha, who would recite mantras on his behalf.
In this way, one’s ancestors going back seven generations and six kinds of close relatives could escape suffering in the afterlife, the Buddha explained. Parents who were still alive, too, would be blessed with wealth and good fortune.
Maudgalyayana did as the Buddha advised. As a result, his mother was freed from the realm of the hungry ghosts, where she had been destined to suffer for the period of one
kalpa
(aeon).
The good son
Press enter or click to view image in full size
Mulian Rescues His Mother from a section of a 19th century Chinese hell scroll. Image:
Wikipedia Commons
While the Ullambana Sutra was originally meant to illustrate the Buddhist principles of rebirth and karmic retribution, in China, the story acquired new significance.
Not long after the text was translated from Sanskrit to Chinese sometime between 265 and 311, Maudgalyayana — or Mulian, as he is known in China — came to be held up as a paragon of filial piety.
This was partly in response to the accusation at the time that Buddhism prevented its followers from attending to their ancestors and performing ancestral rites, a central tenet of
Chinese folk religion
.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
White Horse Temple in Luoyang, Henan is the birthplace of Chinese Buddhism. Image:
Adobe Stock
To counter this, Buddhist monks in China often recounted the story of Maudgalyayana at their public lectures, elaborating on the theme of filial devotion. These embellishments formed the basis for
Mulian Rescues His Mother
, a localised version of the tale that contains details not found in the original sutra.
As Buddhism spread in China, so did the practice of preparing offerings to the monks in
yulan
bowls — a reference to the sutra’s title.
The earliest attested celebration of the Hungry Ghost Festival appears in the 6th century
Record of the Seasons of Jingchu
, although based on literary references, it may have been observed as early as the 5th century.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
Fengxian Temple at Luoyang’s Longmen Grottoes was cut during the Tang dynasty, when Buddhism was widespread in China. Image:
Anagoria / CC BY 3.0
By the Tang dynasty, the practice of Buddhism was widespread in China and the festival was celebrated on a grand scale by people from all walks of life.
Even rulers such as Wu Zetian, China’s only empress, took part in celebrations, witnessing the distribution of the palace’s
yulan
bowls with her imperial officers.
Over time, the Hungry Ghost Festival coalesced with an existing Taoist celebration — the birthday of the
Diguan
, the Earth Official who absolves both the living and dead of sin.
A season of offerings
Press enter or click to view image in full size
The offering for ancestors and departed family members will include their favourite dishes. Image:
Adobe Stock
Broadly speaking, there are two parts to the Hungry Ghost celebration — one private and one communal.
The private celebration is conducted by households and businesses. One of the most significant aspects is the practice of making offerings. These are meant for ancestors as well as
gu hun
, the souls of those who died without a proper burial or whose families have forgotten to pay tribute.
Cooked food, fruits, drinks and sweets are laid out for this purpose on the 14th or 15th of the month. The exact fare varies depending on who the offerings are intended for.
Ancestral offerings are made inside the house compound, on a table placed in front of the main door during the day. This generous spread typically features the deceased’s favourite foods, and may include meat.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
Offerings to wandering ghosts are made by the roadside. Image:
Adobe Stock
Offerings aimed at placating wandering ghosts — euphemistically referred to as
hao xiongdi
or “good siblings” — are more basic and invariably vegetarian. These are placed on the ground outside the home by the main gate or kerb at night. Larger offerings are also made at temples.
Joss sticks are either stuck into the food itself or the ground next to it — it is believed the flames will transmit the offering to the deceased. They are sometimes accompanied by small triangular flags that read “Yulanpen” or “Zhongyuan” to let the spirits know the food is meant for them.
In addition to food, joss paper is burned to transmit money to the afterlife for the dead to use.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
A stage for Chinese opera and getai in Pulau Ubin, Singapore. Image:
Jnzl / CC BY 2.0
The communal celebration, on the other hand, takes place throughout the month, especially the second half of the moon.
During this time, local communities will erect temporary stages to put on Chinese operas and other forms of entertainment to ensure the spirits remain contented and do not cause mischief or harm while in the mortal realm.
In Malaysia and Singapore, a popular alternative to Chinese opera is
getai
, boisterous live performances that showcase singing, dancing, drama and acrobatics, and often feature women.
Regardless of what’s on stage, however, the front row is always left empty for unseen guests — one of the
laundry list of dos and don’ts during Ghost Month
.
A fiery end
Press enter or click to view image in full size
An effigy of Dashiye, the King of Hell, in Penang, Malaysia. Image:
Adobe Stock
The culmination of communal celebrations takes place on the night of the 15th. This is when all the spirits are believed to be in the human world.
A large effigy of Dashiye, the King of Hell, takes centre stage. With his blue face and fangs protruding from his lower jaw, this fearsome guardian god is tasked with watching over the ghosts as they roam among the living.
Late at night, amid fireworks and Taoist prayers, the paper-and-rattan effigy, often several metres tall, is set alight along with a heaping mound of joss paper.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
Setting fire to the Dashiye effigy marks the end of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Image:
Adobe Stock
This spectacular bonfire signals the return of Dashiye and his attendants to hell.
Everything comes to a close on the final day of Hungry Ghost Month, when offerings are prepared one last time for a grand send-off for the spirits as they head back to the underworld for another year.
First published in
AirAsia Play
on 16 Aug 2023. |
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# **What Is Hungry Ghost Festival and Why Is It Celebrated?**
[](https://medium.com/@sixtybolts?source=post_page---byline--6ff394d8385b---------------------------------------)
[Yow Hong Chieh](https://medium.com/@sixtybolts?source=post_page---byline--6ff394d8385b---------------------------------------)
6 min read
·
Aug 20, 2025
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*Welcome, good siblings.*
![]()
*Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/chinese-traditional-religious-practices-zhongyuan-purdue-chinese-ghost-festival-believers-burn-incense-blessing-incense-burner-on-fire/217350873)
The Hungry Ghost Festival is a Chinese festival honouring the dead that is deeply rooted in filial piety and ancestor veneration.
A synthesis of two traditions — the Buddhist Yulanpen Festival and Taoism’s Zhongyuan Festival — it is observed in China and by the Chinese diaspora, especially in Southeast Asia.
The festival takes place on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month, known as Hungry Ghost Month. This 29 or 30-day period is when the gates of hell open and the dead visit the living.
## **Karmic returns**
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*Hungry Ghost Festival is a synthesis of Buddhist and Taoist traditions. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/chinese-hungry-ghost-festival-burning-flame-fire-colourful-variety-prayer-paper-joss-money-fake-currency-joss-stick-mini-fag-food-fruit/453833470)
For Buddhists, the festival was inspired by the [Ullambana Sutra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulanpen_Sutra), a Buddhist text known in Chinese as the Yulanpen Sutra.
The sutra centres around Maudgalyayana, a close disciple of the Buddha. Upon attaining *abhijna* (higher knowledge), he used his third eye to search for his deceased parents, only to discover that his mother was now in hell.
Reborn as a *preta* or hungry ghost, she was cursed to suffer from a terrible, insatiable hunger and thirst — karmic retribution for her sins when she was alive.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*Maudgalyayana encounters his hungry ghost mother, from the 12th century Gaki Zoshi (Scroll of the Hungry Ghosts), a National Treasure of Japan. Image:* [*Wikimedia Commons*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hungry_Ghosts_Scroll_Kyoto_3.jpg)
Seeing his mother in this pitiful condition, Maudgalyayana tried to offer her a bowl of rice but its contents turned into burning hot coals when she touched it.
Distraught, Maudgalyayana went to the Buddha to ask if there was any way to help his mother.
The Buddha told his disciple that, because his mother’s sins were deeply rooted, it would take the combined spiritual power of the Sangha — the collective term for Buddhist monks and nuns — for liberation to be obtained.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*Maudgalyayana and his fellow disciple Sariputra are often depicted flanking the Buddha, as in this 19th century Thai painting. Image:* [*The Walters Art Museum*](https://art.thewalters.org/detail/81907/the-buddha-with-his-disciples-sariputta-and-moggalana-3/)
Maudgalyayana was then asked to prepare an offering of food and fruits, as well as incense, oil, lamps, candles, beds and bedding on the 15th day of the seventh month for the Sangha, who would recite mantras on his behalf.
In this way, one’s ancestors going back seven generations and six kinds of close relatives could escape suffering in the afterlife, the Buddha explained. Parents who were still alive, too, would be blessed with wealth and good fortune.
Maudgalyayana did as the Buddha advised. As a result, his mother was freed from the realm of the hungry ghosts, where she had been destined to suffer for the period of one *kalpa* (aeon).
## **The good son**
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*Mulian Rescues His Mother from a section of a 19th century Chinese hell scroll. Image:* [*Wikipedia Commons*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mulian_Saves_HIs_Mother.jpg)
While the Ullambana Sutra was originally meant to illustrate the Buddhist principles of rebirth and karmic retribution, in China, the story acquired new significance.
Not long after the text was translated from Sanskrit to Chinese sometime between 265 and 311, Maudgalyayana — or Mulian, as he is known in China — came to be held up as a paragon of filial piety.
This was partly in response to the accusation at the time that Buddhism prevented its followers from attending to their ancestors and performing ancestral rites, a central tenet of [Chinese folk religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion).
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*White Horse Temple in Luoyang, Henan is the birthplace of Chinese Buddhism. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/white-horse-temple-luoyang-china-the-birthplace-of-chinese-buddhism-famous-red-bricked-walls-and-courtyards-of-a-tranquil-temple-complex/487626409)
To counter this, Buddhist monks in China often recounted the story of Maudgalyayana at their public lectures, elaborating on the theme of filial devotion. These embellishments formed the basis for [*Mulian Rescues His Mother*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulian_Rescues_His_Mother), a localised version of the tale that contains details not found in the original sutra.
As Buddhism spread in China, so did the practice of preparing offerings to the monks in *yulan* bowls — a reference to the sutra’s title.
The earliest attested celebration of the Hungry Ghost Festival appears in the 6th century *Record of the Seasons of Jingchu*, although based on literary references, it may have been observed as early as the 5th century.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*Fengxian Temple at Luoyang’s Longmen Grottoes was cut during the Tang dynasty, when Buddhism was widespread in China. Image:* [*Anagoria / CC BY 3.0*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2016-05-21_Luoyang_Longmen_Grottoes_anagoria_10.JPG)
By the Tang dynasty, the practice of Buddhism was widespread in China and the festival was celebrated on a grand scale by people from all walks of life.
Even rulers such as Wu Zetian, China’s only empress, took part in celebrations, witnessing the distribution of the palace’s *yulan* bowls with her imperial officers.
Over time, the Hungry Ghost Festival coalesced with an existing Taoist celebration — the birthday of the [Diguan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Great_Emperor-Officials), the Earth Official who absolves both the living and dead of sin.
## **A season of offerings**
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*The offering for ancestors and departed family members will include their favourite dishes. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/respect-the-ancestors-for-passing-away/319972906)
Broadly speaking, there are two parts to the Hungry Ghost celebration — one private and one communal.
The private celebration is conducted by households and businesses. One of the most significant aspects is the practice of making offerings. These are meant for ancestors as well as *gu hun*, the souls of those who died without a proper burial or whose families have forgotten to pay tribute.
Cooked food, fruits, drinks and sweets are laid out for this purpose on the 14th or 15th of the month. The exact fare varies depending on who the offerings are intended for.
Ancestral offerings are made inside the house compound, on a table placed in front of the main door during the day. This generous spread typically features the deceased’s favourite foods, and may include meat.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*Offerings to wandering ghosts are made by the roadside. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/burning-offerings-during-the-hungry-month-festival/403832140)
Offerings aimed at placating wandering ghosts — euphemistically referred to as *hao xiongdi* or “good siblings” — are more basic and invariably vegetarian. These are placed on the ground outside the home by the main gate or kerb at night. Larger offerings are also made at temples.
Joss sticks are either stuck into the food itself or the ground next to it — it is believed the flames will transmit the offering to the deceased. They are sometimes accompanied by small triangular flags that read “Yulanpen” or “Zhongyuan” to let the spirits know the food is meant for them.
In addition to food, joss paper is burned to transmit money to the afterlife for the dead to use.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*A stage for Chinese opera and getai in Pulau Ubin, Singapore. Image:* [*Jnzl / CC BY 2.0*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/surveying/14024878037/)
The communal celebration, on the other hand, takes place throughout the month, especially the second half of the moon.
During this time, local communities will erect temporary stages to put on Chinese operas and other forms of entertainment to ensure the spirits remain contented and do not cause mischief or harm while in the mortal realm.
In Malaysia and Singapore, a popular alternative to Chinese opera is *getai*, boisterous live performances that showcase singing, dancing, drama and acrobatics, and often feature women.
Regardless of what’s on stage, however, the front row is always left empty for unseen guests — one of the [laundry list of dos and don’ts during Ghost Month](https://www.airasia.com/play/assets/blt4462dc2b3c1cc692/15-things-you-shouldnt-do-during-hungry-ghost-month).
## **A fiery end**
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*An effigy of Dashiye, the King of Hell, in Penang, Malaysia. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/bukit-mertajam-penang-malaysia-august-2018-the-dai-she-ye-paper-effigy-in-penang-during-the-hungry-ghost-festival/251720966)
The culmination of communal celebrations takes place on the night of the 15th. This is when all the spirits are believed to be in the human world.
A large effigy of Dashiye, the King of Hell, takes centre stage. With his blue face and fangs protruding from his lower jaw, this fearsome guardian god is tasked with watching over the ghosts as they roam among the living.
Late at night, amid fireworks and Taoist prayers, the paper-and-rattan effigy, often several metres tall, is set alight along with a heaping mound of joss paper.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
![]()
*Setting fire to the Dashiye effigy marks the end of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/georgetown-malaysia-august-2018-the-dai-she-ye-paper-effigy-is-burnt-on-the-last-day-of-the-prayer-session-along-with-hell-notes-in-penang/251720931)
This spectacular bonfire signals the return of Dashiye and his attendants to hell.
Everything comes to a close on the final day of Hungry Ghost Month, when offerings are prepared one last time for a grand send-off for the spirits as they head back to the underworld for another year.
*First published in* [*AirAsia Play*](https://www.airasia.com/play/assets/blt2fa694e1f7b90b26/what-is-hungry-ghost-festival-and-why-is-it-celebrated) *on 16 Aug 2023.*
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| Readable Markdown | The Hungry Ghost Festival is a Chinese festival honouring the dead that is deeply rooted in filial piety and ancestor veneration.
A synthesis of two traditions — the Buddhist Yulanpen Festival and Taoism’s Zhongyuan Festival — it is observed in China and by the Chinese diaspora, especially in Southeast Asia.
The festival takes place on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month, known as Hungry Ghost Month. This 29 or 30-day period is when the gates of hell open and the dead visit the living.
## **Karmic returns**
Press enter or click to view image in full size
*Hungry Ghost Festival is a synthesis of Buddhist and Taoist traditions. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/chinese-hungry-ghost-festival-burning-flame-fire-colourful-variety-prayer-paper-joss-money-fake-currency-joss-stick-mini-fag-food-fruit/453833470)
For Buddhists, the festival was inspired by the [Ullambana Sutra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulanpen_Sutra), a Buddhist text known in Chinese as the Yulanpen Sutra.
The sutra centres around Maudgalyayana, a close disciple of the Buddha. Upon attaining *abhijna* (higher knowledge), he used his third eye to search for his deceased parents, only to discover that his mother was now in hell.
Reborn as a *preta* or hungry ghost, she was cursed to suffer from a terrible, insatiable hunger and thirst — karmic retribution for her sins when she was alive.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
*Maudgalyayana encounters his hungry ghost mother, from the 12th century Gaki Zoshi (Scroll of the Hungry Ghosts), a National Treasure of Japan. Image:* [*Wikimedia Commons*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hungry_Ghosts_Scroll_Kyoto_3.jpg)
Seeing his mother in this pitiful condition, Maudgalyayana tried to offer her a bowl of rice but its contents turned into burning hot coals when she touched it.
Distraught, Maudgalyayana went to the Buddha to ask if there was any way to help his mother.
The Buddha told his disciple that, because his mother’s sins were deeply rooted, it would take the combined spiritual power of the Sangha — the collective term for Buddhist monks and nuns — for liberation to be obtained.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
*Maudgalyayana and his fellow disciple Sariputra are often depicted flanking the Buddha, as in this 19th century Thai painting. Image:* [*The Walters Art Museum*](https://art.thewalters.org/detail/81907/the-buddha-with-his-disciples-sariputta-and-moggalana-3/)
Maudgalyayana was then asked to prepare an offering of food and fruits, as well as incense, oil, lamps, candles, beds and bedding on the 15th day of the seventh month for the Sangha, who would recite mantras on his behalf.
In this way, one’s ancestors going back seven generations and six kinds of close relatives could escape suffering in the afterlife, the Buddha explained. Parents who were still alive, too, would be blessed with wealth and good fortune.
Maudgalyayana did as the Buddha advised. As a result, his mother was freed from the realm of the hungry ghosts, where she had been destined to suffer for the period of one *kalpa* (aeon).
## **The good son**
Press enter or click to view image in full size
*Mulian Rescues His Mother from a section of a 19th century Chinese hell scroll. Image:* [*Wikipedia Commons*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mulian_Saves_HIs_Mother.jpg)
While the Ullambana Sutra was originally meant to illustrate the Buddhist principles of rebirth and karmic retribution, in China, the story acquired new significance.
Not long after the text was translated from Sanskrit to Chinese sometime between 265 and 311, Maudgalyayana — or Mulian, as he is known in China — came to be held up as a paragon of filial piety.
This was partly in response to the accusation at the time that Buddhism prevented its followers from attending to their ancestors and performing ancestral rites, a central tenet of [Chinese folk religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion).
Press enter or click to view image in full size
*White Horse Temple in Luoyang, Henan is the birthplace of Chinese Buddhism. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/white-horse-temple-luoyang-china-the-birthplace-of-chinese-buddhism-famous-red-bricked-walls-and-courtyards-of-a-tranquil-temple-complex/487626409)
To counter this, Buddhist monks in China often recounted the story of Maudgalyayana at their public lectures, elaborating on the theme of filial devotion. These embellishments formed the basis for [*Mulian Rescues His Mother*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulian_Rescues_His_Mother), a localised version of the tale that contains details not found in the original sutra.
As Buddhism spread in China, so did the practice of preparing offerings to the monks in *yulan* bowls — a reference to the sutra’s title.
The earliest attested celebration of the Hungry Ghost Festival appears in the 6th century *Record of the Seasons of Jingchu*, although based on literary references, it may have been observed as early as the 5th century.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
*Fengxian Temple at Luoyang’s Longmen Grottoes was cut during the Tang dynasty, when Buddhism was widespread in China. Image:* [*Anagoria / CC BY 3.0*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2016-05-21_Luoyang_Longmen_Grottoes_anagoria_10.JPG)
By the Tang dynasty, the practice of Buddhism was widespread in China and the festival was celebrated on a grand scale by people from all walks of life.
Even rulers such as Wu Zetian, China’s only empress, took part in celebrations, witnessing the distribution of the palace’s *yulan* bowls with her imperial officers.
Over time, the Hungry Ghost Festival coalesced with an existing Taoist celebration — the birthday of the [Diguan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Great_Emperor-Officials), the Earth Official who absolves both the living and dead of sin.
## **A season of offerings**
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*The offering for ancestors and departed family members will include their favourite dishes. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/respect-the-ancestors-for-passing-away/319972906)
Broadly speaking, there are two parts to the Hungry Ghost celebration — one private and one communal.
The private celebration is conducted by households and businesses. One of the most significant aspects is the practice of making offerings. These are meant for ancestors as well as *gu hun*, the souls of those who died without a proper burial or whose families have forgotten to pay tribute.
Cooked food, fruits, drinks and sweets are laid out for this purpose on the 14th or 15th of the month. The exact fare varies depending on who the offerings are intended for.
Ancestral offerings are made inside the house compound, on a table placed in front of the main door during the day. This generous spread typically features the deceased’s favourite foods, and may include meat.
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*Offerings to wandering ghosts are made by the roadside. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/burning-offerings-during-the-hungry-month-festival/403832140)
Offerings aimed at placating wandering ghosts — euphemistically referred to as *hao xiongdi* or “good siblings” — are more basic and invariably vegetarian. These are placed on the ground outside the home by the main gate or kerb at night. Larger offerings are also made at temples.
Joss sticks are either stuck into the food itself or the ground next to it — it is believed the flames will transmit the offering to the deceased. They are sometimes accompanied by small triangular flags that read “Yulanpen” or “Zhongyuan” to let the spirits know the food is meant for them.
In addition to food, joss paper is burned to transmit money to the afterlife for the dead to use.
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*A stage for Chinese opera and getai in Pulau Ubin, Singapore. Image:* [*Jnzl / CC BY 2.0*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/surveying/14024878037/)
The communal celebration, on the other hand, takes place throughout the month, especially the second half of the moon.
During this time, local communities will erect temporary stages to put on Chinese operas and other forms of entertainment to ensure the spirits remain contented and do not cause mischief or harm while in the mortal realm.
In Malaysia and Singapore, a popular alternative to Chinese opera is *getai*, boisterous live performances that showcase singing, dancing, drama and acrobatics, and often feature women.
Regardless of what’s on stage, however, the front row is always left empty for unseen guests — one of the [laundry list of dos and don’ts during Ghost Month](https://www.airasia.com/play/assets/blt4462dc2b3c1cc692/15-things-you-shouldnt-do-during-hungry-ghost-month).
## **A fiery end**
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*An effigy of Dashiye, the King of Hell, in Penang, Malaysia. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/bukit-mertajam-penang-malaysia-august-2018-the-dai-she-ye-paper-effigy-in-penang-during-the-hungry-ghost-festival/251720966)
The culmination of communal celebrations takes place on the night of the 15th. This is when all the spirits are believed to be in the human world.
A large effigy of Dashiye, the King of Hell, takes centre stage. With his blue face and fangs protruding from his lower jaw, this fearsome guardian god is tasked with watching over the ghosts as they roam among the living.
Late at night, amid fireworks and Taoist prayers, the paper-and-rattan effigy, often several metres tall, is set alight along with a heaping mound of joss paper.
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*Setting fire to the Dashiye effigy marks the end of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Image:* [*Adobe Stock*](https://stock.adobe.com/my/images/georgetown-malaysia-august-2018-the-dai-she-ye-paper-effigy-is-burnt-on-the-last-day-of-the-prayer-session-along-with-hell-notes-in-penang/251720931)
This spectacular bonfire signals the return of Dashiye and his attendants to hell.
Everything comes to a close on the final day of Hungry Ghost Month, when offerings are prepared one last time for a grand send-off for the spirits as they head back to the underworld for another year.
*First published in* [*AirAsia Play*](https://www.airasia.com/play/assets/blt2fa694e1f7b90b26/what-is-hungry-ghost-festival-and-why-is-it-celebrated) *on 16 Aug 2023.* |
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