The living care for ancestors and wandering spirits at Malaysia’s Hungry Ghost Festival
Summary
The Hungry Ghost Festival in Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia, is a traditional event held in the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. People honor the dead, especially spirits without family, by praying and making offerings to the Guardian God of Ghosts, Da Shi Ye, culminating in a large ceremony that involves burning a paper statue of the deity.Key Facts
- The festival takes place in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia.
- It happens during the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, starting mid-August this year.
- The event centers on worshipping Da Shi Ye, the Guardian God of Ghosts.
- The tradition began in 1888 following a serious plague in Bukit Mertajam.
- Devotees pray and offer gifts for 15 days before burning a large paper-and-bamboo statue of Da Shi Ye.
- The burning ritual symbolizes sending the deity back to the spirit world.
- Over 10,000 people attended the burning ceremony this year, with crowds sometimes reaching 20,000.
- The festival helps care for wandering spirits, especially those without family or who died in accidents.
- Similar festivals also occur in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan.
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