Saravanan Subramaniam, PDF @ LocalHood Website Content Team
- Aug 14

Celebrating the dead: Understanding Zhongyuan, the hungry ghost festival

The Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as the Zhongyuan Festival, is a significant cultural event celebrated annually by Chinese communities around the world. This year it falls on the 18th of Aug. This traditional festival has its roots deeply embedded in the rich tapestry of Chinese beliefs and practices, but it is perhaps most prominently observed in the vibrant city of Hong Kong, where the fine balance or modern meets traditions. In Hong Kong, the Hungry Ghost Festival typically falls in the seventh lunar month of the year (falls between August 4th to September 3rd) and has been part of the city's cultural landscape for centuries. As the gates of the underworld are believed to open during this time of the year, the living must pay respects to the wandering spirits of the deceased to ensure their comfort and well-being.

On this month’s article, our volunteer Saravanan will look into, the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong and how it has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years to adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of the city's rapidly modernizing cityscape. From the elaborate rituals and communal celebrations of the past to the more centralized and commercialized events of the present, the festival has proven its resilience and ability to evolve, reflecting the dynamic nature of Hong Kong's cultural heritage. He will also explore the history, traditions, and the changing face of the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong, examining how it has adapted to the city's modernization and the impact of gentrification on this longstanding cultural celebration.

Traditionally, the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong was marked by elaborate rituals and celebrations. Families would gather to prepare offerings of food, incense, and paper money to be burned as a way of providing for the hungry spirits. There isn’t an entirely documented history that clearly lays out the origins of this festival, but these are the basic principles behind the ritual practices. Today, people still hold the principles to be true and follow the rituals as they’ve been taught to. Large-scale communal rituals and performances, such as Taoist and Buddhist ceremonies, would take place in various neighbourhoods, attracting throngs of participants and onlookers. The festival was also a time for theatrical performances, with Cantonese opera troupes staging elaborate productions to entertain both the living and the dead.

However, as Hong Kong has undergone rapid urbanization and gentrification, the Hungry Ghost Festival has had to adapt to the changing landscape of the city. Many of the traditional neighbourhoods where the festival was once celebrated have been transformed, with historic buildings and community spaces giving way to high-rise developments and commercial districts. This shift has led to a gradual decline in the scale and visibility of the festival's celebrations, as the available public spaces for such events have diminished. One notable change has been the relocation of the festival's celebrations to more centralized locations, such as public parks and community centres. Instead of the historically decentralized, neighbourhood-based celebrations, the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong has become more consolidated, with larger-scale events organized by local community groups and cultural organizations. This has allowed the festival to maintain its presence and visibility in the face of the city's rapid transformation, though the intimate, communal atmosphere of the past may have been lost.

During this festival, people observe various rituals and ceremonies to pay tribute to unknown ghosts. The goal is to avoid angering these spirits and provoking them to play tricks on the living. At the same time, the festival is also a chance to show respect and honour the spirits of one's own ancestors. Families typically set up memorial tables in their homes, offering food to ask for their ancestors' blessings. They believe the deceased are watching over them in spiritual form. Other common rituals include burning incense and joss paper - paper products like hell bank notes, clothing, and other items the ancestors enjoyed in life, as a way to transfer them to the afterlife. People also release paper lanterns on the water, guiding the ghosts back to the afterlife. On the festival night, locals have a feast and leave an empty seat at the dining table, symbolizing a place for their lost loved ones.

Hong Kongers may not have the same deep-rooted connection to the traditional practices but mor of them do uphold these “believes” during this time of the year where certain taboo behaviors people make sure to avoid in order not to provoke the spirits. Some of this are.

- Avoid telling ghost stories.

- Avoid touching food offerings and apologize if you accidentally knock them over.

- Avoid scheduling significant events during this time, like starting a new business, getting married, or moving into a new home.

- Avoid leaving money on the street as it is believed to be a bribe to the guards at the underworld’s entrance, which will be counted as a mark against you during your final judgement.

- Avoid taking the last transportation of the day.

- Avoid taking photos at night.

- Avoid standing chopsticks upright in your bowl when eating as this considered an invitation to the ghosts.

- Avoid wearing red and black clothing.

- Avoid sleeping next to or facing a mirror.

- Avoid sitting in the front row of Chinese opera performances; these seats are reserved for spirits.

- Avoid sleeping next to or facing a mirror.

- Avoid sitting in the front row of Chinese opera performances; these seats are reserved for spirits.

As Hong Kong continues to evolve, the Hungry Ghost Festival will likely continue to adapt and change, reflecting the dynamic nature of the city and the need to balance tradition with modernity. This resilience and adaptability serve as a testament to the enduring strength of Hong Kong's cultural heritage and the creativity of its people in preserving their unique identity amidst the challenges of urbanization and gentrification.