04:37Locals gathered in Hong Kong on Saturday to light incense sticks and burn papier-mache offerings in rituals devoted to the city's traditional Hungry Ghost Festival.
Footage shows locals of all ages participating in the festival, enjoying music and dramatic opera performances with traditional costumes on stage, as joss and incense are burnt next to the offerings and by locals in the streets close by.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is rooted in ancient Chinese beliefs which hold that ancestral spirits and restless souls return to roam the earth during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, known as Ghost Month.
"We are trying to comfort all the souls that are all around us, and then also we thank the Gods as well for the fruitful years. The last year they brought us all our peace and fortune," explained Brad, a cultural promoter.
The music and drama enjoyed by local audiences during the event are performed by troupes invited to the event.
"We're doing the drama basically for the Gods, for the Gods first, and then besides all other ghosts and even normal human beings, we also watch the drama as well," said Brad.
"The opera 'Blood Brothers' is just a great programme. It gives the feeling of reunion. We are in the mood to give our all for the arts," explained one of the performers.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is one of the most unique celebrations devoted to incorporeal life within Chinese culture. In Hong Kong, the city bursts with vibrant rituals and community events steeped in superstition and tradition.
The festival is believed to have origins in Buddhist, Taoist, and folk traditions dating back to the Tang dynasty (618-907).
'We're trying to comfort souls' - Hong Kong locals gather to burn incense, offerings for Hungry Ghost Festival
Locals gathered in Hong Kong on Saturday to light incense sticks and burn papier-mache offerings in rituals devoted to the city's traditional Hungry Ghost Festival.
Footage shows locals of all ages participating in the festival, enjoying music and dramatic opera performances with traditional costumes on stage, as joss and incense are burnt next to the offerings and by locals in the streets close by.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is rooted in ancient Chinese beliefs which hold that ancestral spirits and restless souls return to roam the earth during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, known as Ghost Month.
"We are trying to comfort all the souls that are all around us, and then also we thank the Gods as well for the fruitful years. The last year they brought us all our peace and fortune," explained Brad, a cultural promoter.
The music and drama enjoyed by local audiences during the event are performed by troupes invited to the event.
"We're doing the drama basically for the Gods, for the Gods first, and then besides all other ghosts and even normal human beings, we also watch the drama as well," said Brad.
"The opera 'Blood Brothers' is just a great programme. It gives the feeling of reunion. We are in the mood to give our all for the arts," explained one of the performers.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is one of the most unique celebrations devoted to incorporeal life within Chinese culture. In Hong Kong, the city bursts with vibrant rituals and community events steeped in superstition and tradition.
The festival is believed to have origins in Buddhist, Taoist, and folk traditions dating back to the Tang dynasty (618-907).
Locals gathered in Hong Kong on Saturday to light incense sticks and burn papier-mache offerings in rituals devoted to the city's traditional Hungry Ghost Festival.
Footage shows locals of all ages participating in the festival, enjoying music and dramatic opera performances with traditional costumes on stage, as joss and incense are burnt next to the offerings and by locals in the streets close by.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is rooted in ancient Chinese beliefs which hold that ancestral spirits and restless souls return to roam the earth during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, known as Ghost Month.
"We are trying to comfort all the souls that are all around us, and then also we thank the Gods as well for the fruitful years. The last year they brought us all our peace and fortune," explained Brad, a cultural promoter.
The music and drama enjoyed by local audiences during the event are performed by troupes invited to the event.
"We're doing the drama basically for the Gods, for the Gods first, and then besides all other ghosts and even normal human beings, we also watch the drama as well," said Brad.
"The opera 'Blood Brothers' is just a great programme. It gives the feeling of reunion. We are in the mood to give our all for the arts," explained one of the performers.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is one of the most unique celebrations devoted to incorporeal life within Chinese culture. In Hong Kong, the city bursts with vibrant rituals and community events steeped in superstition and tradition.
The festival is believed to have origins in Buddhist, Taoist, and folk traditions dating back to the Tang dynasty (618-907).