KLANG: The annual Hungry Ghost Festival here is both explosive and vibrant, with the town regarded as the epicentre of Selangor’s large Hokkien community.
Known for its steadfast grip on tradition, the community makes no compromises when appeasing wandering spirits during the month-long festival, also known as Phor Thor.
Klang resident Soh Romay said the pinnacle of the festival falls today when wandering spirits are treated to a “big feast”.
“It is akin to a carnival for the spirits that are now wandering among us.
“Many people and businesses will line the streets with offerings while temples also make prayers and offerings.
“There will also be stage and opera shows to entertain these spirits,” said Soh.
She added that most spirits were believed to have unsettled issues and no descendants to pray for them.
“The crux of the offerings and prayers is to make the spirits happy. We ask the kind ones to bless us and the malevolent ones to do no harm,” she said.
As a practising Buddhist, Soh also incorporates Buddhist chants into her Taoist prayers to seek peace for unsettled spirits.
She said people also refrained from travelling to remote areas, rivers and beaches during this month, as “the spirits are moving around freely”.
Nam Suah Taoism Temple management committee member James Yip concurred that prayers were meant to appease spirits with no descendants left to remember them.
“With no one praying for them, some become angry and may cause harm. That is why we offer food and prayers,” he said.
He added that taboos observed during the month included avoiding whistling and going out after dark.
At a Taoist temple dedicated to a Thai deity, volunteer KK Tan said space was allocated for the public to place offerings.
“Our chief medium will then pray over the items left for the wandering spirits,” he said.
Klang Hokkien Association secretary-general Alan Tan noted that prayers held at home were no longer as vibrant as before.
“The younger generation doesn’t really know the rituals, so they attend mass Hungry Ghost Festival prayers,” he said.
He added that the association would hold its Phor Thor prayers on Sept 17, to appease the wandering spirits before they return to hell.
“Although the main day is on Sept 6, we are having ours on the 17th because there are back-to-back events by various groups,” he said.
Taoist and Buddhist communities believe the gates of hell are open on the seventh month of the Lunar Calendar, allowing spirits to leave the fires of hell and roam the earth.
Prayers and food offerings are made to appease these spirits.
The month-long Phor Thor began on Aug 23 and will end on Sept 21, this year.
Besides food, hell money and paper effigies of houses, cars, furniture, electrical appliances and even electronic gadgets are burnt for spirits to use.
The highlight of the festival is the burning of Tai Su Yeah, the Taoist King of Hell deity, effigies.
