MIDDLEBURGH

Middleburgh Ghosts

Traditional Chinese families visit their ancestoral graves and give offerings to the dead on Qingming (Grave Sweeping) Festival in April and to lesser extent on the Cheung Yeung Festival in September. Additionally in August there is the Ghost Festival where the "spirits' visit the living as opposed to the other way around.

So every August when I pass the sport's ground just up the road where facilities are set up for locals to make offerings and to eat with the dead (or rather their spirits), I tell myself to go and take some photos but inevitably when I do it's all over and like a spooky manifestation all traces are gone - except this year when I struck lucky !!.clearly I haven't quite mastered the art of using a cam recorder or indeed the editor but hopefully will get better.

Starts facing the entrance and pans left showing 3 bun towers similar to the 3 bun towers at the bun festival on Cheung Chau (but not as robust).Continues showing the crowd sitting and eating (with the spirits) and in back ground band equipment - is a real party !! Continues left to the Buddhah

The buddah is made of paper. In front people are lighting giant incense sticks (traditional like lighting candle in church) You can just catch glimpse (bottom left) of some food offerings on a table (after the woman ducks) -look for the orange !!

This shot show woman burning paper offerings( cars and like ) and Hell Money for the spirits to use in after world. Pans left to show shrine on the other side (also with people eating) which images of the buddahs

Once upon a time I was told by a catholic priest that I was technically (in the eyes of the church) a pagan .. he was very pleasant about it - I don't tell him that I don't hold with new fangled religions anyway !!

Posted at 8/06/2008 03:10:00 pm by David Middleburgh   Permalink

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