Chinese Life in the Tibetan Foothills/Book 6/Seventh Moon Feast
Seventh Moon Feast (中元), chung yuan.
T‘u ti (土地) hui, the birthday of the precinct god is celebrated on the 7th of the 7th moon. On that day new paper clothing is put on him and incense and candles are burnt at his shrine. The meats offered are afterwards eaten by the family. At all the temples there is careful observance of this day.
The Yü lan (盂蘭) hui, is a Buddhist festival observed on the 14th of this moon for the transmigration of orphan spirits. It is believed that the doors of Hades are opened and the imprisoned spirits set at large from the 10th to the 15th. Those who have no home to go to roam about the streets and country. Many people will not go out at night during these five days.
To give forth rules of behaviour to the freed demons, fang chieh (放戒), or li yu küng chieh (利幽公戒), the priests erect a stage with many lighted lanterns. Some chanting takes place at which the spirits are admonished to keep the laws, and the priest afterwards scatters kuei tan tzŭ, which consists of bread and cakes. These the people scramble for and eat. After the 15th the spirits again return to their own place.
A sacrifice is made to the orphan spirits by the heads of guilds and societies. Sometimes over 100 taels is spent, and if the guild is rich even 1,000 taels may be lavished on these orphan spirits.
Wine, meat, and even whole tables of feasts are offered to the ancestors, who are said to return to the home at this season. This is one of the most binding of all the idolatrous festivals of the year.
The likenesses of departed ancestors are hung in the chief room of the house. Some keep paintings, others have busts. Some keep them always hanging, others only display them at this season.
All the necessities of the spirit world are burned in paper in huge piles in front of the doors about the 13th of the month. This is a very important affair in the eyes of the people. On the 15th cash paper is burned.