Special Features of the Yu Lan Festival

During the entire seventh month of the lunar calendar, the Chiu Chow communities in different districts take turns to host their own Yu Lan Festival with over 60 spots all over the territory, making it a large scale folk activity in Hong Kong.

The main purpose of the Yu Lan Festival is to pay respects to one’s ancestors and make offerings to the wandering spirits from the netherworld. Highlight activities include conducting religious rites such as penance scripture chanting, transmuting the departed souls to afterlife, arranging prayer service for one’s ancestors, offering food to spirits and deities, staging Chinese opera performances as an act of thanksgiving to the gods (shengongxi), distributing rice to “keep one safe and good”, auctioning of auspicious objects, etc.

Various altars are set up at the venues. There are altar for deities, altar for the Ghost King, altar for homeless spirits, altar for prayer ritual of transmuting the departed ancestors, altar where the priests perform the chanting, theatre stage, etc. The effigy of the Ghost King (or an incarnation of Bodhisattva Guanyin) approximately four-metre high is the presiding alms-giving deity. The stage performances are mainly Chiu Chow opera. There are also demonstrations of crafts and performing arts in the Chiu Chow tradition, such as paper-crafted decorations, floral plaques, steamed glutinous dumplings, cakes, pastries, cooking, ritual performances, etc. They can be found on the grounds where Yu Lan Festival activities are held.