Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival

The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival is also known as Zhong Yuan Jie (中元节). In Chinese culture, especially in many Asian countries, the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar is regarded as the “Ghost Month”. It is believed that during this time, spirits and wandering souls — including deceased ancestors — are released from the lower realm (in Buddhist belief, the wheel of Samsara) to visit the living world for the entire month.

Throughout the Ghost Month, grand prayer ceremonies and lively celebrations are held. These often include Getai performances — vibrant stage shows featuring singing in Hokkien or Teochew dialects — as well as Chinese opera performances, puppet shows, and large communal dinners. During some dinners, there are even exciting bidding sessions where people bid for “lucky” items to raise funds for temples and community events.

In 2014, the first day of the Hungry Ghost Festival fell on 27th July, which marked the beginning of the seventh lunar month. The last day of the month was on 24th August. The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, known as Ghost Day, fell on 10th August.

My uncle, who lives in Singapore, visited several popular Getai locations in Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon Central, and Potong Pasir. He kindly took the time to capture some wonderful photos to share with my readers.

The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival is often misunderstood by those who are unfamiliar with the tradition. Many people assume it is purely a Buddhist festival, but it is actually part of traditional Chinese culture and folk beliefs. While some Buddhist and Taoist elements may be incorporated into the ceremonies, the festival itself is cultural rather than religious.

As with many traditional festivals, there are several taboos and customs observed during Ghost Month. For example, many people avoid stepping over offerings placed on the streets, refrain from sitting in the front row during Getai performances because the seats are believed to be reserved for spirits, and avoid picking up unusual objects found on the ground.

Below are some photos of the Getai performances, Chinese opera shows, and bidding sessions.

Chinese Opera for the Hungry Ghost Festival

Puppet Show

Offerings and Prayer Items for the Hungry Ghost Festival

Offerings for Vegetarian Spirits

In this photo, there are 12 seats prepared with food offerings for the 12 “Officer Spirits”. According to traditional beliefs, each spirit is assigned to oversee one lunar month and maintain order among the spirit population throughout the year. These 12 Officer Spirits are believed to be appointed by a superior deity, represented by the poster displayed behind the seats.

This photo shows Yanluowang (閻羅王/阎罗王), the King of Hell in Chinese mythology. His face is covered with red paper because the prayer ceremony had not yet begun. The monk would remove the red paper once the rituals started.

Here are Dua Yah Peh (大爷伯), the Big Brother in White Robe, and Di Ya Peh (二爷伯), the Second Brother in Black Robe. These two deities are commonly known together as Dua Di Ya Peh (大二爷伯) among Southern Chinese communities such as the Hokkien and Teochew people. In Mandarin, they are also referred to as Hei Bai Wu Chang (黑白无常), the Black and White Impermanence.

Paper Money Offerings

Once again, I would like to thank my uncle for kindly providing and sharing these photos with my readers!