Puppet Concert- Hungry Ghost Festival, Singapore

Location: Serangoon Central, Singapore (1 22 N, 103 48 E)
Date: 10 August 2006; 8.30pm
Camera used: Canon 400D with EF 50mm/f1.8
Hungry Ghost Festival falls on the 7th month of the lunar New Year and is celebrated mainly in China and other countries such as Singapore & Malaysia. It is believed that during this month, the gates of hell are opened to free the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth. Chinese celebrate this festival chiefly to remember their deceased family members and pay tribute to them. They also feel that offering food to the deceased appeases them and wards off bad luck.
Chinese also believe that the dead return to visit their living relatives during the 7th month and so they prepare a sumptuous meal for the ‘hungry ghosts’, just as they would for normal Chinese gatherings at festivals. They also offer prayers to the deceased relatives and burn joss sticks.
In Malaysia and Singapore, there are also concerts (getai or wayang) performed on outdoor stages in some neighborhoods at night. These concerts used to be traditional Chinese (different dialects) operas and (Teochews and Hokkien) puppet shows; however nowadays such traditional performances are very rare- they are replaced by pop music. There is a belief that this entertainment would please those wandering ghosts.

This photo is a rare Hokkien puppet show.