Ghost Festival 'Spirit Bus' Tour Offers Cultural Journey Through Hong Kong's Teochew Heritage
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago7 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong Teochew Association has launched a limited-time "Ghost Bus" (鬼巴士) tour as part of the 9th Ghost Festival Culture Festival (盂蘭文化節), offering participants a unique blend of theatrical storytelling and cultural education. The bus, adorned with white lanterns and blue lighting, travels between Sheung Wan and various Ghost Festival assembly sites across Kowloon, presenting the history of Teochew migrants who came to Hong Kong seeking a better life. Rather than focusing on supernatural scares, the experience aims to preserve and promote the intangible cultural heritage of the Hungry Ghost Festival (盂蘭勝會), which has been practiced by Hong Kong's Teochew community for generations.
Key Points
- The "穿越盂蘭" (Crossing the Ghost Festival) bus tour is organized by the Hong Kong Teochew Association as part of the 9th annual Ghost Festival Culture Festival
- The tour departs from Sheung Wan and visits two Ghost Festival assembly sites: Choi Wan Estate's Teochew Tian De Bo Gong Festival Association (潮僑天德伯公街坊盂蘭勝會) in Kowloon and Mong Kok's Teochew Hungry Ghost Festival Assembly (旺角潮僑盂蘭勝會)
- Stage actor Harold portrays "Zhang Jingqing" (張敬清), a fictionalized Teochew coolie who migrated from Chaoshan and, after death, wanders the afterlife due to a friend's mistake in purchasing an incorrect lotus position name
- During the journey, the "Ghost Man" (張敬清) teaches passengers how to fold "treasure plates" (寶碟) while narrating Hong Kong's social history from the early settlement period
- A volunteer named "Zhou Po Po" (周婆婆), who has served the Ghost Festival assemblies for over 20 years, expressed concerns about the tradition dying out as elders pass away and young people fail to join
- Participant Camilla described the experience as moving, noting she was unaware Hong Kong had so many Ghost Festival memorial activities and gained appreciation for Chinese history and traditional culture
- Hong Kong Teochew Association Chairman Hu Dingxu (胡定旭) stated this year's theme is "功德顯影" (Merit Revealed), aiming to integrate innovative technology and trendy culture with traditional customs
Why It Matters
The Ghost Bus initiative addresses a critical challenge facing Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage: the aging of traditional practitioners and declining youth participation. As Hong Kong Teochew Association Vice Chairman Hu Yansong (胡炎松) emphasized, the goal extends beyond promoting Teochew culture to popularizing this non-material cultural heritage across all 18 districts of Hong Kong. This innovative approach using theatrical experiences and heritage tourism demonstrates how traditional festivals can be preserved through creative engagement rather than merely didactic instruction, potentially serving as a model for safeguarding other endangered cultural practices in the city.
The Ghost Bus initiative addresses a critical challenge facing Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage: the aging of traditional practitioners and declining youth participation. As Hong Kong Teochew Association Vice Chairman Hu Yansong (胡炎松) emphasized, the goal extends beyond promoting Teochew culture to popularizing this non-material cultural heritage across all 18 districts of Hong Kong. This innovative approach using theatrical experiences and heritage tourism demonstrates how traditional festivals can be preserved through creative engagement rather than merely didactic instruction, potentially serving as a model for safeguarding other endangered cultural practices in the city.