Ep. 346 | The Hungry Ghost Festival

The China History Podcast
Written By Laszlo Montgomery

This is the third time the history and traditions behind a Chinese holiday is being introduced. The history behind the Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival were both presented back in the days when I knew even less than I do now about how to podcast. The Hungry Ghost Festival goes by a number of names, mainly because it's one of those rare festivals that is celebrated by both Daoists and Buddhists.

It's called the Zhōngyuán 中元, Qīyuèbàn 七月半, Yúlánpén 盂兰盆, and Ullambana Festival. Daoists and Buddhists have their own spin on the legends behind the Hungry Ghost Festival. But the main idea remains the same. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the gates of hell open up for all Hungry Ghosts to return to the world of the living and for the living to show them the respect and kindness they were denied in their living forms.

https://www.instagram.com/lahungryghostfest/

https://chssc.org/event/la-chinatown-hungry-ghost-festival/

https://lahungryghostfestival.com/

https://www.micahhuangmusic.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hungryghostnote/

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