Zhongyuan Festival, also known as Ghost Festival, falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month each year.

People sacrifice soup and rice to their ancestors, and water lamps or street lamps are set to help the spirits.

Prepare eight dishes

In Wenling, a county-level city of Taizhou, Zhejiang province, people cook the festival’s traditional eight dishes, and have a good meal with the family. Pork, dried bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, tofu, dasheen and inkfish are standard dishes of the day. 

Dishes on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month [Photo/tz.zjol.com.cn]

Worship ancestors 

People worship their ancestors on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month by placing the eight special dishes on the table, lighting scented candles and burning paper money. Just as in Qingming Festival, the people of Wenling on Zhongyuan Festival like to remember loved ones who have passed away. 

Photo shows a table with sacrificial offerings. [Photo/tz.zjol.com.cn]