Gui Jie, the Mid-Year Festival

Unlike Qingming, a festival dedicated to one's own family and ancestors, the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts, Gui Jie, is dedicated to those among the dead who are not one's own ancestors. Celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month, this festival's aim is to pacify the uncared-for and abandoned dead. Included among this list are those who died without descendents, those with unfilial sons, those who died faraway from their families, or those who died in childhood. The most frightening of all the dead are those who had been murdered or had committed suicide. These were ghosts who had never been given a proper burial and would forever haunt the scene of their death as they only sought revenge for their deaths.

The Chinese believe that during the seventh month, the gates of the underworld are released and that time, ghosts will wander about freely. On the 15th day, Buddhist and Taoist priests will chant liturgies, perform rituals, offer incense, paper money and food to the ghosts. During the climax of the ceremony, the priests will throw buns and sweets to the hungry ghosts. This is usually a signal to the children in the crowd to rush and grab th goods.

During the festival, the living and the dead are both entertained by street-side attractions like opera, theatre and other musical performances.

Yu Lan Pen, Mu Lian and the Buddhist version of the festival

The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts is known to the Buddhists as Yu Lan Pen. Yu Lan means to hang upside down and Pen is a container filled with food offerings.

According to the legend, Mu Lian was a magician and a devout Buddhist monk. His mother, Qing Ti, was a vegetarian, who unknowingly drank a meat-based soup and remedy for her illness, offered to her by Mu Lian. When she found out about the soup, she declared, "If I have eaten meat, let me be thrown into the deepest dungeons of hell!" And immediately, she disappeared and descended into hell.

Mu Lian was devastated and vowed to go to the underworld to bring her back. His journey was harrowing as he faced many dangers along the way. He finally finds Qing Ti in the deepest dungeons of hell and finds her in deep suffering. Mu Lian then tries to feed his starving mother, but all the other hungry ghosts greedily grab the food before she is able to get to it. Even when she is finally able to touch the food, it turns into fire before reaching her mouth. Her suffering continued.

Mu Lian then follows the Buddha's directions as he offered special prayers and food on the 15th night of the 7th month. As a result of her son's devotions, Qing Ti was then freed from hell.

Since then, Buddhist monks and nuns would chant the Yu Lan Pen sutra to rescue others from hell on the 15th night of the 7th month.

Hell and the Taoists

The Taoists believe that it takes seven weeks to journey through hell before one is reincarnated and returned to earth. Here is the traditional itinerary of the trip to hell:

Week One:

The dead traveller reaches the "Demon Gate Barrier." Here, he has to pay the demons, to avoid being beaten.

Week Two:

The traveller's sins throughout his lifetime are weighed on a giant scale.

Week Three:

The next stop is the "Bad Dog Village." If the traveller had been found guilty on the giant scale, the dogs will tear him into pieces.

Week Four:

He then gets to peek into the gigantic "Mirror of Retribution" to see his doom.

Week Five:

Here, he is forced to look upon his loved ones who have been left behind.

Week Six:

Next, he must cross the "Bridge of Sighs" which is 100,000 feet high, but surprisingly narrow. It crosses over a river filled with snakes.

Week Seven

He finally reaches a resthouse, where he is offered tea. Here, he rests from his journey before proceeding to try his hand at the "King of Wheel." Here, at the turn of the wheel, his next life is determined, for he may return as a human, insect, bird or fish--depending on whether he had led a good life before this journey.

Release of the Water Lanterns

In Hong Kong and Taiwan, on the night before the festival, people would send decorated paper boats and water lanterns into the sea. According to the tradition, lotus-flower lanterns with candles would allow wandering ghosts to see in the dark. Priests would then invoke the gods' blessing for the festival and would invite the ghosts to attend the next days' feast.

Grandfather Seven and Grandfather Eight

These characters are two popular symbols of the festival. In the spirit world, they are the patrolmen who report misconduct to the heavenly powers.

Grandfather Seven, known as Qi Ye, is shown as a short and portly black figure with rolling eyes. In contrast, Grandfather Eight known as Ba Ye, is tall and thin, and has an extended red tongue.

As the story goes, the two were close friends in life. One day, on their way to meet each other, Grandfather Seven was caught in a storm and drowned in a nearby river, thus acquiring the rolling eyes. When Grandfather Eight found him, he was so overwhelmed with sadness that he hung himself, thereby acquiring the extended tongue. Because of their loyalty to each other, they were given a special place in the spirit world. Today, they are depicted as two puppets who honour the festival with their presence.

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