It is the time of year again – the Hungry Ghost Festival celebrations are in full swing, and the people of Penang are preparing for them! Walking around the streets of Penang in July, you will see altars, offering tables, incense and candles, as well as opera troupes and live shows, all of which are part of the Hungry Ghost Festival. The 7th lunar month Yu Lan festivities, which are observed across the region from Bukit Mertajam to Penang Island, are not merely religious or folk beliefs; rather, they are intimately intertwined with education, culture, and history.
When the Hungry Ghost Festival arrives, Pek Kong Cheng in Bukit Mertajam is always bustling with crowds.
The community’s Yu Lan Festival has spanned nearly 140 years. From crafting Tai Su Yeah’s statue a month prior, through its assembly, consecration, and 15 days of offering ritual, culminating in the statue’s ceremonial burning on the 17th night of the 7th lunar month, marking Tai Su Yeah’s spiritual ascent, which draws attention across Penang and even the whole country.
Upon closer inspection of the Tai Su Yeah statue, you will notice an image of Guanyin atop its head. The creator of these sacred statues explained that Tai Su Yeah was originally an incarnation of Guanyin. Although he appears fierce, Guanyin's presence is intended to gently restrain his intensity.
Tai Su Yeah (Da Shi Ye), also known as Flaming-Faced Great Sage (Mianran Dashi), Pu Du Gong, or Pu Du Ye, features the image of Guanyin atop its head as its true form. This originates from the Lotus Sutra’s teaching of Guanyin’s countless manifestations: to liberate all beings, Guanyin incarnated as a ghost king, maintaining order in the human realm while reforming lost souls.
Tai Su Yeah manifests in two forms: the martial type wears armor, while the civil type dons an imperial dragon robe. Since 1964, the statue’s height has been increased annually, signifying "rising higher each year" for prosperity. To date, it stands at 28 feet 6 inches tall.
During the Hungry Ghost festivities, Steven Gan, President of Rakan Bukit Mertajam remarked that all local associations gather at Pek Kong Cheng at designated times to pay their respects. They share a common mission: to uphold this tradition. This fosters unity among communities and within society.
On the 17th night of the 7th lunar month, Tai Su Yeah returned to heaven and the statue of Tai Su Yeah is burned to ashes. However, every resident of Bukit Mertajam shares an unspoken promise: that they will meet again next year.
Once lunar July arrives, most Chinese avoid holding weddings. Though celebrations steer clear of the Hungry Ghost Festival, Penang’s streets come alive with Zo Tok banquets. Locally, hosting these feasts is called "zo tok", while attending as a guest is known as "jiak tok".
The head chef has orchestrated these banquets for 40 years, from washing dishes and chopping boards to now commanding the kitchen. His day begins at 10 AM, prepping ingredients, and continues through the 7:30 PM feast kick-off, stretching deep into the night.
Strangers become friends over a steamy feast. In olden days, entire villages would mobilize for Zo Tok during major events. Tables spilled from homes onto roadside pavements, with chefs crafting communal feasts. As the organising chairman shared Zo Tok thrives on vibrant energy. People come for the food but stay for the warmth of community ties.
In Penang, the century-old Yu Lan Festival is not just a vibrant spectacle – it drives charity and education. Host Owen Yap joined Datuk Jessen Ang, Chairman of Persatuan Teong Guan Pulau Pinang, to experience a day in the life of the Hungry Ghost Festival’s street processions.
From the late 1950s, Penang's street communities began to increasingly celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival with lavish events. By the 1970s, cutthroat competition emerged between neighborhoods. Fearing social division among Chinese communities, plus resource waste causing local inconvenience and pollution, the world's sole Persatuan Teong Guan Pulau Pinang was established in 1973, right here in Penang.
Datuk Jessen Ang shared: "When Chinese migrants settled in Nanyang, they held quarterly ancestral rites and lunar July street-side worship. Back then, each neighborhood worshipped separately. Our founding chairman proposed: ‘Why not unite? Beyond prayers, let’s donate surplus funds to schools.’"
Today, Persatuan Teong Guan Pulau Pinang has over 400 street communities and 200 temples on Penang Island. After expanding to Seberang Perai several years ago, a further 200 communities joined, bringing the total number of members to over 600. To date, they have raised over RM50 million for Chinese primary schools and community development projects across Penang.
In Bukit Mertajam, the Hungry Ghost Festival celebrations actively promote community education. In addition to Jit Sin Independent High School's fundraising during the festivities, Datuk Seri Peh Weng Khim, the chairman of the Bukit Mertajam Yu Lan Festival Organization, revealed that their organisation channels all proceeds to schools, donating hundreds of thousands of ringgit annually.
More than just rituals and reunions, the Hungry Ghost Festival provides a living stage for cultural heritage, sustaining traditions such as live stage shows and dialect operas. This culture embodies values like filial piety, fellowship, reverence, and compassion, while rituals transcend the departed. Ultimately, however, they uplift the living.
Reposted in full from The Interview website