Ghost Festival - Feeding The Hungry Ghosts In Beijing
Ever since Buddhism was first introduced to China
, it has influenced almost every sphere of life from architecture to art. The Hungry Ghost Festival which is celebrated each year all over China is another part of Chinese life that has been influenced by the religion. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month according to the traditional calendar.
According to the Buddhist scriptures the beginning of the festival can be traced back to India but later became so infused with the Chinese culture that many scholars now claim that the festival has local origins. According to the tale, Arahat Maudgalyayana used his powers of clairvoyance to look into the fate of his deceased parents. He discovered that his father had ascended to heaven while his mother had been born in the realm of the Hungry Ghosts. The monk devised a method of transferring food from the realm of the living to the realm of the ghosts and to ease his mothers suffering. This ritual though it has considerable Confucian influences as well, forms the basis of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
The day of the festival is especially significant as it falls on a full moon day- considered sacred by the Buddhists and also on the day of the autumn harvest. The festival therefore has profound cultural and spiritual value to the Chinese. Family members gather in temples all over Beijing and offer prayers, food and burn incense to ease the sufferings of their relatives in the afterlife. Concert like performances are held with traditional Chinese opera and drama.
For tourists in Beijing the rituals of the Hungry Ghost Festival can be seen practiced in every temple in the city. Buddhists and Taoists construct altars around the city to make their offerings; these cultural activities are showcased mostly in the citys cultural centre. A five star hotel Beijing such as the Raffles Beijing Hotel, China can be found easily in this part of town and with the high standards of hotel accommodation Beijing guests can expect a blissful stay.