Festival dels Esperits a KeelungGhost Festival in Keelung

Fa 156 anys que el 14è dia del mes del esperits se celebra a Keelung el «Mid-summer Ghost Festival» . Cada any toca a una família (clan) diferent organitzar el festival, aquest any ha tocat a la família Wu.

El festival arrenca al centre de Keelung cap a les vuit del vespre i s’organitza una mena de rua molt similar a una cavalgata de reis (amb llançament de caramels i tot). Cada clan i algunes empreses monten alguna mena de vehicle que circula pel centre de la ciutat i passa per davant de les autoritats locals. Hi ha una barreja de religió, festa i menjar.  La rua atreu força públic de totes les edats. Us en podeu fer una idea amb l’àlbum d’aquí sota.

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La cavalgata dura unes quantes hores i vam tenir temps per escapar-nos al «Chupu Altar». En aquest altar, situat dalt d’un turó prop del centre de la ciutat, és on celebren alguns dels actes religiosos relacionats amb el mes dels esperits… però quan hi vam anar nosaltres quasi no hi havia ningú ja que tothom era a la rua. Durant el mes dels esperits decoren l’altar d’una manera especial.

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Cap a les onze de la nit s’organitzen uns autobusos per portar a la gent cap a una badia pròxima. En el nostre cas vam fer tard pels autobusos però vam tenir sort de trobar una parella de jubilats taiwanesos en la mateixa situació. La parella (que parlava molt bé l’anglès ja que havien viscut a Noza Zelanda durant força anys) va decidir adoptar-nos com als seus fills per a la resta de la nit. Vam compartir un taxi fins a la badia. En aquest indret els clans hi porten una mena de petites cases/vaixells de paper i fusta que omplen de diner fals («paper money»). Calen foc a tot plegat i ho envien mar endins. En paral.lel cremen més diner fals i fan focs artificials.

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A l’acabar tota la cerimònia ja no hi havia transport de tornada a Taipei però els pares adoptius ens van oferir anar en el seu cotxe de tornada, i encara més casualitat, viuen a la mateixa zona de Taipei. Els hi vam donar les nostres dades i esperem anar a fer un te amb ells algun dia.

Cercant per internet he pogut trobar aquesta notícia sobre el festival d’aquest any a Keelung
També un vídeo resum de la rua:

I un mini reportage (3:30) que explica una mica tot plegat:

For the last 156 years on the 14th day of the Ghost Month Keelung hosts the «Mid-summer Ghost Festival» . Every year a different family/clan is in charge of the organization, this year it was the turn of Wu clan family.

The festival starts with a parade that starts around 20:00 at the center of Keelung. If you know about Spanish traditions, it is similar to the kind of parade organized on January 5th to welcome the Three Kings. Each family clan (a total of 15) and various of the local companies prepare some kind of vehicle that will tour around the city following the parade circuit (that includes a VIP area for local authorities to enjoy the event). There is a mix of religion, party and food. The parade attracts a decent number of spectators of all ages and conditions (including few tourists like us). You can get an idea by checking the pictures here below.

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The parade lasts for couple of hours so we had enough time to divert and visit the «Chupu Altar». This altar, located at the top of a small hill not far from the city center, is where some of the important celebrations take place during the Ghost Month. When we visited the altar it was almost empty as everybody was enjoying the parade. During the Ghost Month the altar is decorated in very special ways

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Around eleven buses are arranged to take people to a nearby bay. In our case we were late to take the bus but we were lucky as we found a couple of retired Taiwanese people that faced the same problem. We shared a taxi ride to the bay and they decided to adopt us for the rest of the night. At the bay the clans fill with paper money a kind of house/boat made of paper. After a short ceremory the lit the house/boat that are released to the sea. In other areas of the bay people burn even more paper money and fireworks are arranged to close the ceremony.

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Everything was delayed and by the time the fireworks finished there was no more transport back to Taipei. Luckily for us the Taiwanese couple offered a ride on their car to go back to Taipei and, funny enough, they live not far away from our house. We exchanged our contact details with them and hope to enjoy a coup of tea with them in the near future.

Browsing around I could find this news video about the Keelung event on 2010:
Also a summary of the parade:

And finally a mini-magazine (4 minutes) that describe the Ghost Month and the festival at Keelung: