• Chiu Chow opera musicians play during a performance. EPA
    Chiu Chow opera musicians play during a performance. EPA
  • A Chiu Chow opera performer sits in the backstage during a performance. EPA
    A Chiu Chow opera performer sits in the backstage during a performance. EPA
  • A Chiu Chow opera performer gets ready for the show backstage. EPA
    A Chiu Chow opera performer gets ready for the show backstage. EPA
  • A guest watches a Chiu Chow opera performance. EPA
    A guest watches a Chiu Chow opera performance. EPA
  • Guests attend a banquet held during the performance. EPA
    Guests attend a banquet held during the performance. EPA
  • Performers apply their make up before heading out on stage. EPA
    Performers apply their make up before heading out on stage. EPA
  • One Chiu Chow performer makes some final adjustments to her costume. EPA
    One Chiu Chow performer makes some final adjustments to her costume. EPA
  • Guests enjoy a meal while watching the show. EPA
    Guests enjoy a meal while watching the show. EPA
  • A guest watches the Chiu Chow opera performance. EPA
    A guest watches the Chiu Chow opera performance. EPA
  • Organisers give away prizes during raffles. EPA
    Organisers give away prizes during raffles. EPA

Asia

A night at Hong Kong's Ghost Festival opera - in pictures

During the Hungry Ghost Festival, members of Hong Kong's Chiu Chow community organise their own opera

The National

August 23, 2018

  • English
  • Arabic

During the Hungry Ghost Festival, members of Hong Kong's Chiu Chow community put on an opera for ghosts in need of entertainment.

Around 1.2 million people from from Chiu Chow (Chaozhou) in China's Guangdong province live in Hong Kong. Their take on the Hungry Ghost Festival is the Yu Lan Ghost Festival.

While the festival's origins are not unlike those of Halloween in Europe, it is also intrinsically linked to the Chinese practice of ancestor worship.

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