The Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival, known locally as the Keelung Chung-Yuan Festival (雞籠中元祭), is one of Taiwan’s oldest and most significant folk traditions, with a history of more than 170 years. This month-long cultural celebration transforms the city of Keelung into a vibrant hub of rituals, performances, and community gatherings. Far from being a purely solemn occasion, the festival blends reverence for tradition with lively festivities, creating a unique balance that captivates both locals and visitors.
For an inside look at the 2025 Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival, watch the video below.
Originating in the mid-19th century, the festival has grown into a major cultural landmark that now draws international attention. The 2025 edition, hosted by the Wu Clan Association, continues this legacy, welcoming not only thousands of local participants but also delegations from Keelung’s sister cities — Sangju in South Korea, and Yatsushiro and Kure in Japan — further underscoring its global cultural significance.
The Grand Water Lantern Parade of the Ghost Festival
The festival’s most anticipated and visually spectacular highlight was the Grand Water Lantern Parade, held this year on September 5, the 14th day of the seventh lunar month. The evening opened with a lively street procession featuring dazzling floats and a rich variety of cultural performances, ranging from traditional Beiguan music to vibrant folk dances. At the heart of the parade are the local clan associations — the driving force behind the festival — each presenting their unique identity through elaborately decorated floats adorned with intricate designs and symbolic motifs.
A striking and meaningful feature of many floats was the presence of tall bamboo stalks, displayed with their leaves still attached. Far from being mere decorations, these stalks hold deep spiritual symbolism. Bamboo, with its natural purity and upward growth, is regarded as a “spirit antenna,” guiding wandering souls toward the parade and helping them find their way to the main offerings. As the floats passed, the rhythmic beat of drums, the sounds of traditional music, and the energy of colorful folk dances filled the streets, creating an atmosphere of joyous celebration that complemented the festival’s solemn spiritual purpose.
The procession culminated at Wanghaixiang (望海巷), where the most significant ritual of the night took place — the release of water lanterns. These large, ornate paper lanterns, each representing a clan association, were offerings to the “good brothers,” a respectful term for wandering spirits. They are believed to light the way for lonely and hungry ghosts, guiding them to the feast and toward salvation. Tradition holds that the farther a lantern drifts out to sea, the greater the luck and prosperity its sponsoring family will receive in the year ahead. In 2025, this solemn ritual was once again held at Wanghaixiang in Badouzi, accompanied by a spectacular fireworks display to pray for favorable weather and prosperity for all families in Keelung.
The General Salvation of the Ghost Festival at the Main Altar
Following the parade and the release of water lanterns, the festival’s spiritual heart emerged with the general salvation ceremony, or Pudu (中元普度), held at the Main Altar (主普壇). In 2025, this grand ritual took place on September 6, the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, at Zhongzheng Park. Long tables were laden with an extraordinary variety of offerings — traditional sacrificial meats, fruits, and rice wine alongside modern snacks, beverages, and intricately crafted flour-made animals, fruits, and vegetables. Taoist and Buddhist priests led solemn chants and rites, seeking to appease wandering spirits, provide for their needs, and ensure blessings for the living community.
Another striking feature of the festival was the presence of six towering bamboo poles erected on both sides of the square in front of the Main Altar. Known as “Ghost Poles,” these served a purpose similar to the bamboo carried on the parade floats: they acted as luminous beacons, signaling to wandering spirits that a feast and salvation awaited. As night falls, the glowing markers reshaped the cityscape, casting an otherworldly glow and offering a tangible invitation to the unseen guests.
A living cultural heritage in Taiwan
The Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival stands as both a profound spiritual observance and a vibrant cultural celebration. Rooted in centuries of tradition, it reflects the city’s deep reverence for ancestors while extending compassion to wandering souls. By blending solemn rituals with dazzling parades, music, and performances, the festival bridges the realms of the living and the departed, offering a vivid expression of communal devotion.
More than a religious event, it is a living cultural phenomenon that preserves Taiwan’s heritage, strengthens community bonds, and captivates visitors with its unique blend of color, sound, and spiritual significance. Year after year, the Keelung Ghost Festival reaffirms its place as one of Taiwan’s most treasured and unforgettable cultural events.
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