The Hungry Ghost Festival

The Ghost King (Guidance for the small ghost)

Every year in Chinese Seventh Lunar Month, Chinese Buddhists, Taoists, Chinese Folk Religion Believers from all over the world will celebrated this tradition Hungry Ghost Festival. This festival is celebrated in the whole seventh lunar month. According to Chinese folklore, there is an increase in the incidence of accidents and deaths during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, an occurrence attributed to underworld spirits visiting the earth during this time. During Ghost Month, people prepare big feasts to indulge the many roaming ghosts.Eastern societies, unlike many western societies, traditionally try to appease the dead, rather than trying to banish them, by inviting them temporarily into the world of the living. On the first day of the seventh lunar month, Open of the Gate of Hades and the spirits are allowed to cross over into the living world. On the 30th day of the month, the gates of hell are closed again and the ghosts return to the other side.It is said that on the final day of the seventh lunar month or the first day of the eighth month, the gates of Hades are closed, sealing the spirits back in darkness. At the appointed time of closing, a Taoist priest chants liturgies while holding a "seven-star sword" to let the ghosts know that it is time for them to return to the underworld. When the gates are shut, the priest cups his ears to avoid being deafened by the wail of the spirits lamenting their return to Hades.


During this one whole month, Chinese is not allow to arrange wedding ceremony, outing, Travel, go out till late night till end of the month.

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Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a paper-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living.
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Local is offering foods, burning incense




In Bukit Mertajam, every year seventh lunar month from 1st day till 17th day, there's a celebration with a statue( paper-made) of the King Ghost will be placed for local to offer food and make some prayers to the decrease (ghost). This paper-made statue is the largest in Asia. As i know, the size will be made bigger from year to year. At the moment, the size is already catching up to 10ft tall.
On 17th day, there's a ceremony of Burning the paper-made statue and other offering goods for the local so that the King of Ghost will received it in the lower realm world.