Singapore Hungry Ghost Tour 2010
The ‘Hungry Ghost festival’ or the Feast for the Wandering Souls (also known as Zhong Yuan Jie 中元节) is for the Chinese, just as Halloween is for Americans.
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Hungry Ghost festival is a popular occasion celebrated by the Chinese, both seniors and the younger generations alike.
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This festival falls on the 7th month of the lunar New Year, and is celebrated mainly in China and other countries like Singapore , Hong Kong & Malaysia. It is believed by the Chinese that during this month, the gates of hell are opened to free the hungry ghosts from Hell who would then wander to seek food on Earth. Some even think that the ghosts would seek revenge on those who had wronged them in their lives.
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The reason why the Chinese celebrate this festival is to remember their dead family members and pay tribute to them. They also feel that offering food to the deceased
appeases them and wards off bad luck.
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Join API, together with our ‘Hungry Ghosts’ Partners DOPasia and Nirvana, as we bring on a round-island tour into the World of the Hungry Ghosts.
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This tour will be held over 4 Saturdays. To join us, click here:
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Read about the Wan Bao Reporter adventure with us on the eve of the Hungry Ghost Month…
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Wan Bao News Aug 10, by SC Goh
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Last night opening of Hell Gate, 200 people went to pray for 4D to new ghosts !
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Last night was supposed to be the opening of the Hell Gate, and more than 200 people went to Choa Chu Kang Chinese Cemetery to seek for 4D, especially seeking for fortune from the newly deceased !
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Last night, this reporter went along with API together to check out the cemetery, and found crowds of
people gathering at different corners of CCK cemetery.
people gathering at different corners of CCK cemetery.
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According to API, these devotees would gather at certain designated places in the cemetery in accordance to advice from the priests for the rituals.
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Some groups would choose the newer cemetery grounds for the rituals, as they believe the energy levels are higher.
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According to the observations on site, these rituals were relatively elaborate. In some cases, after the rituals, the devotees would churn out the 4D lottery nos from various slips of papers. Later they would puay phay to check if these were the correct numbers.
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Long Shan Men Sect 35th Sect Leader Jave Wu said that these devotees would make a sort of agreement after the ritual to the ghosts that if they were to strike lottery, they would bring forth offerings as thanks in return
Not only in the cemetery ground, but also in the small altars setup in the little forest within the cemetery grounds, one could find these devotees.
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It was believed that these devotees came from various sintuas, temples or other associations. They came last night after 11 pm and started praying at the main entrance of the CCK cemetery. Some drove directly into the cemetery ground.
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Along the cemetery road, you can see candles being lit on both sides, and ritual papers being scattered on the ground.
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Jave mentioned that these ritual papers were in fact “money” used for the opening of the roads. Those candles lighting around the roads were lights opening the road as a passageway and boundary area to guide the good brothers to enjoy the feast and offerings being prepared.
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In the little forest within the cemetery were also small little altars for these rituals. Many devotees came with offerings to these little altars. There were also many cars parked along the side of these little altars.
We can also see young people driving fast cars with pretty ladies going to the cemetery. Mainly they came to pray for their business.
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There were also middle aged people who came for 4D and also for health and peace. After praying, they would shout “Huat Ah” in unison before distributing “huat” kueh around.
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As for the young people in flashy cars and trendy clothes, they came to pray for success in business.
One can also see in some parts of the cemetery, each and every grave being lit up with joss sticks and prayed for.
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This was because it was believed that those graves who were abandoned and unprayed for would became wondering ghosts. So one would seek merit to pray to those unattended graves.
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Up to 1 am, one would still see these devotees coming with their offerings. This usually quiet cemetery has burst into life.
Translated by Raymond Goh, API Historian