Taiwan - Keelung - Pudu
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Pudu (Universal Salvation), Keelung City, Taiwan.
> Neighborhood Pudu, led by a Taoist Priest
Ghost Month Zhongyuan Jie (or, to be politically correct ’month of wandering spirits’) is fairly celebrated across the Orient to pitty and support the roaming spirits. But the restless souls don’t crave for stacks of ghost money (joss paper) only. They’re hungry, too. Spiritual feeding highlights the essence of all Zhongyuan Pudu rites which span throughout the month.
Temples, entire neighborhoods, shop owners, markets and even large firms are setting up makeshift tables laden with all kinds of foods (at times whole pigs or goats), flower bouquets, cookie combos, crackers, cigarettes, rice wine, and soft drinks. As the old saying goes, in case there’s not enough food on offer, the spirits may be offended, which could lead to a bad year ahead. Or worse, some even believe that if the ’good brothers and sisters’ are not fed properly, they will cause trouble for one's ancestors in the parallel world.
To top it all off, a washbasin, toothpaste, and brush plus a towel in front of the offering table are awaiting the ’good brothers and sisters’ after the meal. The distinct spiritual donations thus show ghosts to be an inferior kind of ancestor, emphasizing their pitiful need for alms, just like living human beings with no kin.
After the ghost took their offerings, a lot of hell money (joss paper/ spiritual currency) will be burned with the hope that it will materialize again for the ghosts.
- Filename
- Taiwan-Keelung-519.jpg
- Copyright
- Claudio Sieber
- Image Size
- 5815x3882 / 12.2MB
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spiritual currency hell money cultural events tradition ghost spirits spiritual remembrance afterlife ghost month pudu universal salvation crossworld messaging ancestral remembrance East Asian religion philosophy Taiwan Asia East Asia love eternal love abandoned burried paranormal Chinese belief cult death devotion hell Taoism Buddhism ancestry forefathers worship offerings Orient oriental oriental belief soul ceremony
- Contained in galleries
- Taiwan - Keelung - Pudu Ceremonies