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Hungry Ghost Festival quiz: How much do you know?

How Hong Kong gets Hungry Ghost Festival all wrong, following superstitions not rooted in its Buddhist origins

Your Hungry Ghost Festival survival guide: don’t ‘borrow’ an umbrella, use a bus shelter at night or tap someone’s shoulder

Lifestyle

Lisa Cam

A woman burns offerings on the street during Hungry Ghost Festival. Some other customs during the festival, however, aren’t necessarily grounded in tradition. Photo: Winson Wong

A man burns paper offerings during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai neighbourhood. Photo: Winson Wong

Lavish food offerings for spirits of the deceased are common at the Hungry Ghost Festival. Photo: Nora Tam

Char siu restaurants are thought by some to be a place where hungry ghosts gather during Hungry Ghost Festival. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A still from The Eye (2002). Photo: Palm Pictures

From avoiding char siu restaurants to making lavish food offerings to the spirits of deceased relatives, some customs that Hongkongers adhere to during Hungry Ghost Festival aren’t based on tradition.


Food and Drinks

Cantonese culture, slang and customs

Chinese culture

Explainers: Culture

Hong Kong culture

Hong Kong

Religion

Religion in China

Luisa Tam

An effigy of the Ghost King during a ceremonial ritual for the Hungry Ghost Festival at Tai Kong Po Tsuen, Pat Heung, Kam Tin in Hong Kong. Photo: Nora Tam

There are many things to avoid during the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong, including not picking up an unclaimed umbrella - it could be housing a wandering spirit. Photo: Nora Tam

During the Hungry Ghost Festival, people honour the memories of the dead by presenting food, as well as burning “hell money”. Photo: Shutterstock

During Hungry Ghost Festival don’t “borrow” someone else’s umbrella, or you could admit wandering ghosts to your home. Photo: Nora Tam

Photo-taking late at night is to be avoided at all costs if you don’t want to capture a ghost in action or trap one inside your camera. Photo: Nora Tam

Rituals such as burning joss paper, or “hell money”, are meant to keep us on the good side of our ancestors. Photo: Edmond So

Your Hungry Ghost Festival survival guide: picking up an unclaimed umbrella, standing under a bus shelter at night and tapping someone on the shoulder are among the many things to avoid from now till August 26.


My Hong Kong

What distinguishes the Hungry Ghost festival from Halloween? Test your knowledge about the festival.
