Yu Lan Cultural Festival 2025

The Yu Lan Cultural Festival celebrates the ancient Hungry Ghost Festival, although a bit later than the official calendar.

What happens?

While the Hungry Ghost Festival is observed across the Chinese-speaking world, Yu Lan is Hong Kong’s distinctive version.

Families and associations set up bamboo theatres, altars, and makeshift kitchens to honour wandering souls. Offerings of roasted meats, fruit, rice, and paper effigies including clothes, money, even smartphones are burned so that the spirits may use them in the afterlife. Taoist priests chant sutras to guide lost souls toward peace, while Cantonese opera troupes and lion dance performers put on shows. The front rows at opera shows are often left empty — they are reserved for the ghosts.

Past editions of the event have also live-action role playing (LARP) (for the nerd in all of us), plus some high-tech displayds.

Is it the same as the Hungry Ghost Festival?

Not quite. Brought by Chaozhou (Teochew/Chiuchow) immigrants, it has developed into a highly communal event, recognised today as part of the city’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The difference lies in scale and expression: where the Hungry Ghost Festival typically centres on family offerings and rituals, Yu Lan expands this into a multi-day cultural celebration, with Taoist ceremonies, Chinese opera, puppet shows, and community feasts staged across entire neighbourhoods.