Chinese community in Penang gear up for Hungry Ghost festival

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Chinese community in Penang is all set for the Hungry Ghost festival which starts on Aug 17.
The Bukit Mertajam Yu Lan Festival Organisation said they expect thousands of devotees to congregate at an altar to be set up by its committee at the Bukit Mertajam wet market at Jalan Pasar here.
Its chairman Datuk Tan Chean Heng said it was a 100-year-old tradition for the community to start the 15-day festival on the third day untill the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.
Tan said devotees would also worship the "Tai Su Yeah" (King of Hades) in the form of paper effigies which would be "back" to hell after the effigies are burnt.
"Our Tai Su Yeah is one of the largest effigies. This year, the Tai Su Yeah still remains at 27 feet (822.96cm) tall, however, its legs has been enlarged in order to enhance the stability of the effigy.
"Due to its huge size, it took our committee and devotees more than two hours to set up the Tai Su Yeah, " he told theSun.
He said devotees would prepare offerings such as fruits, chicken, rice and sugar pagoda to offer to the Tai Su Yeah.
"Other than that, the Phor Thor committee will also hold Teo Chew opera performances or puppet shows to entertain the spirits and Tai Su Yeah," he said.
Tan called on the public to pay a visit to the festival as it is one of the largest Hungry Ghost festivals in the state.