The Myths and Legends of the Ghost Festival falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is called the Ghost Festival in Taoism and the Ghost Festival in Buddhism. Legend has it that since the beginning of the seventh lunar month, lonely ghosts in the underworld have been released. They can wander around the world for a period of time and accept people's sacrifices until July 30th, when the gate of ghosts closes and the Ghost Festival ends.

It is said that Buddha Sakyamuni accepted ten disciples, one of whom was named Maud Lian. Both of Mulian's parents died before he attained enlightenment. He missed his dead mother very much, so he used his heavenly eyes to check his mother's living conditions in the underworld. It turns out that she turned into a hungry ghost and was in a pitiful condition. Mulian was very sad, so he used his magic power to bring some food to his mother. Unfortunately, as soon as the food was brought to the mouth, it immediately turned into flames. Mulian told Sakyamuni about this situation. The Buddha taught him that his mother had planted sins when she was still alive. These sins could not be resolved by him alone, but must rely on the strength of everyone. So Mulian united with other eminent monks to hold a large-scale worship ceremony to save the souls of the dead.

This legend has been passed down to later generations. Every mid-July of the lunar calendar, people will kill chickens and ducks, burn incense and burn clothes, and worship the hungry ghosts who came out of the underworld to resolve their grievances and prevent them from causing harm to the world. Over time, the Ghost Festival was formed.

The Ghost Festival has been passed down to this day, and it no longer has its original meaning. Modern people celebrate the Ghost Festival to commemorate their ancestors and to promote the traditional virtue of filial piety, rather than to succumb to the fear of ghosts.

The custom of Ghost Festival is to sacrifice ghosts. On July 15th, every family got up very early and went to the mountain to pick a lot of tung oil leaves to wrap glutinous fire cakes. After the cakes are wrapped, they are steamed in a pot and then placed on the large table in the hall to offer sacrifices to relatives. The cake wrapped in tung oil leaves is soft and tender, with a faint fragrance of tung oil leaves floating around. After offering sacrifices to the ancestors, adults or children are allowed to eat. At this time, the family is immersed in the beautiful past.

Butian. On the night of the Ghost Festival, every household will burn incense at the door and put the incense on the ground. The more incense the better, which symbolizes a good harvest and is called "cloth field".

Lay out water lanterns. The so-called water lantern is a lamp tied on a small wooden board. Many of them are made of colored paper into the shape of lotus, which is called "flood and drought lantern". It is said that water lanterns are used to lead the way for ghosts who have died unjustly. When the lights are turned off, the water lanterns have completed their mission of luring the innocent souls across the Naihe Bridge.

Shi Geer. On Ghost Festival, all shops are closed, leaving the streets to ghosts. In the middle of the street, an incense table is set up every hundred steps. On the incense table are placed fresh fruits and a kind of "ghost buns". Behind the table, there are Taoist priests singing ghost songs that no one understands. This ritual is called "Ghost Buns". Shi Geer".

Lights in the water. Shangyuan Festival refers to the Lantern Festival, when people decorate the Lantern Festival with lanterns and colorful decorations. Zhongyuan comes from Shangyuan. People think that the Ghost Festival is a ghost festival, so lanterns should be lit to celebrate the festival for ghosts. However, humans and ghosts are different, so the lighting of lanterns in Zhongyuan is different from the lighting of lanterns in Shangyuan. Humans are yang, ghosts are yin; land is yang, water is yin. The mysterious darkness under the water reminds people of the legendary underworld, where ghosts roam.

So, the lanterns were lit in the Shangyuan on land, and the lanterns in the Zhongyuan were lit in the water.