Hungry Ghost Festival in Penang
Each and every year, in the course of the 7th month of lunar calendar, the streets of Penang, specifically George Town, come to life and become the center stage for traditional Chinese operas, puppet shows, and open-air concerts (Ko Tai). The sights and sounds of such performances mark the month-long observation and celebration of “Hungry Ghost Festival” in Penang—the equivalent of western Halloween, albeit for an typical of 30 days!
This year, Hungry Ghost Festival starts from August 10th and ends on September 7th. It is an annual ritual which is celebrated by lots of people in Penang. The traditional Chinese operas, puppet indicates, and concerts are said to appease the roaming spirits in our world in the course of the 7th month of lunar calendar. Other observance includes elaborated food offerings and prayers…
My family back residence in Penang observes this festival religiously. When I was little, my aunt would constantly take me to watch the Chinese opera, puppet show, or concert (Ko Tai) in our neighborhood. While she was busy offering her prayers or enjoying the entertainment for the stage, I would be roaming around buying and eating a variety of snacks and junk foods, sold through the numerous temporary vendors beside the stage. It was constantly so very much fun as once a year, I got to savor the “special” meals generally sold throughout the Hungry Ghost Festival—si koh th’ng/四果汤 (a tasty, colorful, and icy sweet desserts), grilled satay jellyfish for the stick, grilled cuttlefish, ice cream, and a slew of other delicious meals. I was equally mesmerized by the storyline as well as the performances for the stage nonetheless. Hungry Ghost Festival was like a funfare to me…it was an annual event that I would always appear forward to.
If you are interested inside unique culture and tradition in Penang, August is a great month to pay a visit to. You might see large-scale prayers and foods offerings at the several temples in George Town; you may, hopefully enjoy (or a minimum of be intrigued by) the open-air opera indicates and entertainment; and you may surely love all the delicious foods identified in Penang.
Fore more information about Hungry Ghost Festival in Penang, please check out this post by Penang Tourism. You possibly can also check out this post at Visit Penang. Finally, should you be in Penang while in the Hungry Ghost Festival and would like to find out more about this festival and get an insider’s view about it, send us an email and join our Penang private tour.
