2017 Chinese Ghost Festival - “中元节(zhōng yuán jié)”

Accompanied with long history from ancient times, Chinese culture, especially Chinese festivals have experienced various momentous changes and have been influenced by foreign cultures as well. The Ghost Festival, which we address it in “中元节(zhōng yuán jié)” in Chinese, is a traditional day that came into being from native Taoism but influenced by Buddhism.

It is also regarded as Chinese Halloween as before because Chinese people usually hold a memorial ceremony for dead spirits in this day, and they believe that their deceased families and friends will come back home. However, Chinese Ghost festival is almost different from Halloween, which will be presented in the following words.

The Ghost Festival is celebrated at 15th July in Chinese lunar calendar, which will be 5th September this year. You may observe its another name, the Hungry Ghost Festival. Why was it named after by that? In the Taoist legends, there was Earth God who was in charge of the netherworld. At mid-July, he would open the ground door to release the dead spirits who was remained under the ground to go back home for a night back home. Because they have tolerated the hunger for a long time, their families or friends usually prepare food, joss sticks, and candles to welcome them back and have a nice supper. Meanwhile, lots of people would like to float lotus lanterns to light up their road home. As time passes, it has become a grand folk cultural ceremony which helps Chinese people send their thoughts and wishes to deceased lives.

Hope you could have a general idea about the Ghost Festival with the above. Now let’s see some basic Chinese phrases about Chinese traditions for such a culture festival.

1. Chinese vocabulary for traditional activities in this festival:

zhōnɡ yuán jié
◆ 中元节 (Chinese Ghost Festival)

zhōnɡ yuán pǔ dù
◆中元普渡 (Rescue creatures from their suffering at mid-July)

jì zǔ
◆祭祖 (Ancestor workshop)

jì sì tǔ dì
◆祭祀土地 (Offer sacrifices to land)

fànɡ hé dēnɡ
◆放河灯 (Float lotus lanterns)

miàn sù
◆面塑 (Dough figurines)

2. Chinese vocabulary for ancestor workshop:

ɡònɡ pǐn
◆供品 (Offerings)

zhǐ qián
◆纸钱 (Joss paper)

xiānɡ huǒ
◆香火 (Joss sticks and candles)

sù jiǔ
◆素酒 (wine for ancestor)

3. Useful sentences to express your thoughts and wishes:

wǒ shí fēn xiǎnɡ niàn wǒ de mǔ qīn。
我十分想念我的母亲。
(I am extremely missing my mother.)

zì nǐ zǒu hòu, wǒ men dōu fēi chánɡ huái niàn nǐ zài shí ɡuānɡ。
自你走后，我们都非常怀念你在时光。
(We have cherished the memory of you here since you gone.)

yuàn tiān shànɡ rén jiān, xiào wèi cí ēn。
愿天上人间，笑慰慈恩。
(Wish that man smiles to the mercy in paradise.)

There are lots of Chinese ancient poems and prose masterpieces to describe the Ghost Festivals. Let’s appreciate a piece of poem written by Emperor Qianlong.

zhōnɡ yuán ɡuān hé dēnɡ
中 元 观 河 灯 by 乾隆

tài yè chéng bō jìng miàn píng, wú biān jiā jǐng cǐ xiāo shēng。
太 液 澄 波 镜 面 平，无 边 佳 景 此 宵 生。

mǎn hú xīng dǒu hán qiū lěng, wàn duǒ jīn lián chè yè míng。
满 湖 星 斗 涵 秋 冷，万 朵 金 莲 彻 夜 明。

zhú làng jīng ōu guāng yǐng xuàn, suí fēng tiē wěi wǎng lái qīng。
逐 浪 惊 鸥 光 影 眩，随 风 贴 苇 往 来 轻。

fàn zhōu hé yòng shāo yín zhú, shàng xià huā fáng yìng yuè róng。
泛 舟 何 用 烧 银 烛，上 下 花 房 映 月 荣。

(Taiye Lake waves calmly with grand night view, where golden lotuses were bright as stars in the water. Startled seagulls play with foams, as bulrushes dancing with the breeze. Radiant paper-flowers ships interact with the moon, floating even without silver candles.)

This poem aimed to describe the amazing scenery when people in royal palace were floating lotus lanterns at mid-July day, which added slight warmth to such a festival sounds a bit gloom.

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