Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival)
The 15th day of the 7th lunar month, also called the Ullambana Festival. A time to honor ancestors and offer food to wandering spirits during Ghost Month.
Days until the next Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival)
Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival) — Dates by Year
Origins
The Ghost Festival merges two traditions: the Taoist Zhongyuan Festival, celebrating the Earth Official's birthday when sins of underworld souls are pardoned, and the Buddhist Ullambana Festival based on the story of Mulian who freed his mother from hell through collective monastic merit. Folk belief holds that throughout the 7th lunar month ("Ghost Month"), the underworld gates open and spirits roam among the living.
Pudu Ritual
The pudu (universal salvation) ceremony is the festival's heart. Community-level rituals see neighborhoods and temples prepare lavish tables of food and paper money for wandering spirits; families hold private pudu outside their doors. Keelung's Zhongyuan Festival is Taiwan's most celebrated, featuring water lanterns released into the harbor and the exorcist dance of Zhong Kui — now designated a national folk art.
Taboos & Precautions
Ghost Month carries many taboos in Taiwanese folk belief: avoid going out alone after dark, do not tap anyone's shoulder (it may drive away their protective spirit), do not pick up roadside offerings, and be cautious swimming or hiking at night. Front-row theater seats are left empty for the visiting spirits. These taboos reflect deep respect for the departed and a worldview where the living and spirit realms coexist.
Regional Highlights
Keelung's water lanterns drift through the harbor to guide spirits to offerings — a breathtaking nighttime spectacle. Toucheng's Qiangu pole-climbing competition is a daring Yilan tradition. Temples stage Taiwanese opera and puppet theater for the spirits' entertainment. In recent years, eco-friendly alternatives to large-scale paper burning have been promoted to balance tradition with environmental responsibility.