Linus is an expat living in China. He writes about China and the Chinese Culture for eChina Expat , a platform for Chinese Culture, China Travel, Feng Shui and general China expat tips for expatriates and tourists living in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and other China cities.
By now you should probably be aware of the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing, China, this coming August. However, there is at least another event going on in (and beneath) China during August.
Every year, during the seventh month of the Chinese Calendar, it is believed that the Gates of Hell will be opened and all Hell beings (well, not nearly all, only those well-behaved ones) will be set to roam freely on Earth for a month. In this month, many spirits roamed the world in search of their past memories to fulfil their unforgotten attachments. As such, these are called the “hungry ghosts” and the festival is also called the Hungry Ghost Festival.
The Hungry Ghosts festival occurs on the 15th night of the 7th Lunar month which falls on the 15th of August this year. This festival is different from the more well-known Qing Ming Festival (???), or the tomb-sweeping day which is now an official holiday in China and is predominantly an ancestor worshipping day. The Ghost Festival on the other hand is for the ancestors to return the visit and is a festival of elaborate rituals of joss sticks and paper money, food offerings, and opera shows for the deceased.
The festival is also influenced by Buddhist teachings introduced into China. In the Buddhist’s Ullambana Sutra, Mahamaudgalyayana, one of the chief disciples of the Buddha, well-known for his psychic powers, searched for his deceased mother during one of his meditation session. He found his mother being reborn in the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts due to her previous greed. Seeking Buddha’s advice, he eased his mother’s suffering and eventual rebirth into a human form by performing various rituals of merits creation and offerings. This is the famous “Mahamaudgalyayana Saving His Mother” storyline which is often performed in Chinese opera. In the Chinese context, more emphasis is placed on offerings to the ancestors than to the Sangha, or monks, as in the original Ullambana practice in Buddhism.
There are similar festivals around the world as well. These include the El Día de los Muertos Festival in Mexico, the Chugen and O-Bon Festivals in Japan as well as the Vu Lan Festival in Vietnam. This shows that people today are still in awed and respectful towards the mysterious underworld. For the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival in particular, it is a yearly reinforcement and reminder of one’s filial responsibility towards the mother and other ancestors in general.
Copyright @ eChinaExpat.com
Hungry Ghost Festival or other Chinese culture at eChina Expat Articles.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
Chinese knot—the typical local arts of China
By: Venturiwang | 03/12/2009Chinese knot is a typical art of China. It has a long and deep history. From this article I will tell you something about Chinese kno
Care about Emotional Needs
By: kitty | 03/12/2009Have you care about your emotional needs and the people’s around you，if not，how can you success in your intercourse.
Home Design Outlet Center Offers New And Exciting Bathroom Vanity Designs
By: Gen Wright | 03/12/2009Home Design Outlet Center is releasing new and exciting designs for their existing range of modern bathroom vanities. The Company is confident that homeowners will find suitable designs for their bathrooms.
Who's Energetic About Saving Energy?
By: Knight Pierce Hirst | 03/12/2009The dictionary defines energy as a resource, like oil or gas, from which usable energy can be produced. The definition should say "often limited resource".
In the Quran, there is no holy man in Islam
By: Prof.dr. Ibrahim Khalil | 02/12/2009In the Quran and Hadith, there is no holy man and there is no group of people like the Levi people therein in the Quran and every man is sinful but the best ever sinful man is…
Greek mythology: The history and significance of Persephone
By: Jessica Tucker | 02/12/2009Persephone was daughter to the Greek god, Zeus and Demeter, Goddess of Vegetation. At a young age she was given, by her father to his brother, Hades, God of the Underworld. Being a young girl, both Persephone and her mother refused her leave which angered Hades causing him to come up from his world and steal Persephone. http://www.helium.com/items/1628938-greek-mythology-the-history-and-significance-of-persephone
Use a Mirror to Work on Golf Fundamentals
By: kitty | 02/12/2009Mirror, mirror on the wall, what do I really see after all? The truth is in what you see, not in what you feel.
If I Die in Walmart
By: Paul Ruth | 02/12/2009This is an essay that talks about business responsiblity.
Noble Eightfold Path In Buddhism
By: Linus Leong | 25/10/2009 | ReligionThe Noble Eightfold Path is a comprehensive path leading to the end of suffering. All the steps are interrelated and dependent on one another. The eight steps can be classified into 3 streams of practice; (a) morality, (b) mental development and (c) wisdom.
Rebirth In Buddhism
By: Linus Leong | 25/10/2009 | MysticismIn Buddhism, rebirth is not transmigration. There is no self that is being reborn. On the other hand, rebirth in Buddhism is part and parcel of the continuous process of change, not just in our death and birth.
Karma In Buddhism
By: Linus Leong | 25/10/2009 | MysticismThe particular circumstances in which each living being finds himself are the outcomes of the particular set of karma he has accumulated.
Introduction To Theravada Buddhism
By: Linus Leong | 25/10/2009 | ReligionTheravada is also known as the “Teaching of the Elders”. This is the earliest surviving form of Buddhism and is commonly found in South and Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
The Four Noble Truths in Buddhism
By: Linus Leong | 25/10/2009 | ReligionThe Four Noble Truths are the foundation of Buddhism. In many ways, they are a summary of the overall teachings of the Buddha.
Business Plans for Entrepreneurs
By: Linus Leong | 16/08/2008 | EntrepreneurshipFew areas of business attract as much attention as entrepreneurship, and few aspects of entrepreneurship attract as much attention as a business plan.
Pregnancy and Fertility Tips
By: Linus Leong | 10/08/2008 | PregnancyAncestral worship is the underlying principle of Chinese ethics. Therefore, the birth of a child, in particular a son that will carry on the family’s name, is regarded as an extremely fortunate event. As such, there are many customs and rituals to encourage child birth especially among couples who are yet childless, unable to conceive or who have no luck with male infants.
Chinese Calendar - the Chinese Almanac
By: Linus Leong | 20/07/2008 | CultureAll ancient civilisations have their own slant of calendar record and almanacs in particular have been in existence since antiquity across the globe. The Chinese Almanac or “通胜”, is a book, or table, containing forecasts and outlook for the year.